It has already been reported earlier in the month that Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson plans on seeking a new contract once the NFL and the NFLPA* has come to an agreement regarding a new CBA. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reported over the weekend that the Johnson was prepared to holdout if his contract wasn’t addressed before the start of the season.
“Make no mistake: Johnson wants a new deal, and he won’t show up for training camp without one,” Wyatt wrote.
Johnson himself refuted this report during an interview with Associated Press over the weekend.
“My goal is to make it to the playoffs,” Johnson said. “We haven’t been to the playoffs in two years, so my goal is to get to the Super Bowl.” Later, he added, “I’m going to … worry about playing football at this point.”
This is good news for the Titans and fan base considering that this year will be the biggest transition that the franchise has undergone since they were the Houston Oilers. New head coach Miek Munchak has already said that he plans on implementing a run-heavy offense for the upcoming season and Johnson figures to be the centerpiece of their entire offense.
Such a transition is easier said than done considering that opposing teams had already figured out that loading the box and shutting down Chris Johnson was the easiest way to keep the Titans offense in check. Tennessee’s passing game showed some promise last season but most of that was during the first half of the season when teams weren’t keying in on Johnson.
Having Johnson on board and ready to contribute will give them a shot to compete even though their quarterback situation is still up in the air.
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