Chris Johnson will apparently be released by the Titans this week, possibly as soon as today. He'll find a new employer, no doubt, because 28-year-old former 2,000-yard rushers don't grow on trees. But does he still have difference-making ability?
Johnson rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, his sixth straight season with at least that many yards. He's not the back he once was, but he can still be an effective player and quality fantasy starter, depending on where he winds up.
While not achieving the highs of his 2,000-yard season, in many respects he's put up similar, and respectable, numbers for three straight years. The last three seasons he's totaled between 1,422 and 1,475 total yards, and averaged 3.9 to 4.5 yards per carry. He even scored 10 total TDs last season, most since 2010 (when he scored 12).
But a difference-maker? Well, not so much. Since he had a whopping 12 100-yard rushing performances in that historic 2009 season, it's been pretty steadily downhill for him in that regard. In 2013, he had only 2.
Johnson's numbers since that 2009 season are presented below.
| CHRIS JOHNSON, 2009-2013 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Run | YPC | Rec | Tot | TD | 100-yard games |
| 2009 | 2,006 | 5.6 | 503 | 2,509 | 16 | 12 |
| 2010 | 1,364 | 4.3 | 245 | 1,609 | 12 | 8 |
| 2011 | 1,047 | 4.0 | 418 | 1,465 | 4 | 4 |
| 2012 | 1,243 | 4.5 | 232 | 1,475 | 6 | 5 |
| 2013 | 1,077 | 3.9 | 345 | 1,422 | 10 | 2 |
--Andy Richardson