Jason La Canfora reportedly earlier Monday morning that Titans RB Chris Johnson suffered a meniscus tear back in Week 3, but still managed to finish out the 2013 season.
According to La Canfora, it appears to be a โvirtual certaintyโ that Johnson will hit the free-agent market this spring.
Johnson, 28, opted to play out the season, despite being in โconsiderable pain and discomfort.โ Johnson is scheduled to undergo whatโs being referred to as a minor procedure on Tuesday and is expected to require a 4- to 6-week recovery period. La Canfora expects Johnson to be able to pass a physical by March.
Weโve passed along numerous reports regarding the Titans possibly parting ways with Johnson this offseason, so itโs not surprising to hear that a knee issue could further impact his future in Tennessee.
Johnson signed a six-year, $55.26 million deal in 2011, which includes a lofty base salary of $10 million for the upcoming 2014 season. Parting ways with Johnson would free up $4 million in cap space, according to Overthecap.com.
La Canfora expects the Titans to gauge Johnsonโs willingness to take a pay cut during the combine, but believes an โamicable splitโ makes sense for both parties.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on X.com and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!