Jets’ Chris Johnson expects to ‘have a big role’ in season-opener
By Sam Richmond
New York Jets running back Chris Johnson has a few solid running backs in Bilal Powell and Chris Ivory competing with him for carries.
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But the once-elite Johnson still believes he’s going to see the ball plenty when the Jets’ 2014 NFL season kicks off against the Oakland Raiders.
From Rich Cimini of ESPN New York:
"“At the end of the day, they wouldn’t have brought me in here if I wasn’t going to have a big role, if I wasn’t going to be a big part of this offense,” Johnson said Wednesday. “That’s something I’m not worried about. I’m not worried about my role and how it’s going to play out. As a free agent, they could’ve chosen a lot of different guys. They already had some guys in here that had some success. They weren’t going to bring me in here for no reason.”"
Johnson is absolutely the top dog in New York, but it’s not perfectly clear just how the breakdown of carries will go.
The important thing for Johnson will obviously to make the most of whatever workload he is given. Johnson’s career has been trending downward since he rushed for 2,006 yards in 2009 and he has a real shot to boost his reputation back up with a solid year.
The Tennessee Titans drafted Johnson with the No. 24 pick in the 2008 draft. In his six years as a Titan, Johnson racked up 7,965 yards and 50 touchdowns.
New York signed the back to a two-year, $8 million contract this summer.