Cardinals and Chris Johnson Talk about Extension
Thanks to a fine performance from the Cardinals that won them against the Lions in Week 5, it looks like Chris Johnson will soon be signing a contract extension with the team. The 30-year-old running back ran for 103 yards in that game, paving the way for general manager Steve Keim to "think about" extending the veteran's stay with Arizona.
The first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft saw his best season in his entire career in 2009 when he produced 2,006 yards. This season, he has an average of 5.1 yards per carry. With the Cardinals' loaded roster in offense, it looks like Johnson is having a field day out there with regard to moving the ball well. The arrival of the running back also allowed the team to resolve its offensive woes last season.
Adam Schefter for ESPN first reported about the team and Johnson having discussions about the contract extension, something which comes in an appropriate time because the running back did have another good game against the Ravens on Sunday. According to the same report, there is still no definite information that the deal has already been agreed on, but it can't be denied that Johnson's production increased this season.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Keim also admitted to Arizona Sports that the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year has done a remarkable job for the team. The general manager answered the question about the rumored extension talk:
"That's something that we always monitor, day-to-day, (director of football administration) Mike Disner and I spend a lot of time on the contract analysis and spending time talking to the agents, so that's something that we'll look at."
Johnson actually got injured during training camp, but he eventually got the role he wanted to embrace with this team when projected starter Andre Ellington suffered an injury. He currently is ranked second in the entire league with 567 rushing yards and is also running third with six carries so far for at least 20 yards.
Reports say that if ever a contract is agreed between Johnson and the Cardinals, he could earn up to $2 million, provided he can rush for 1,300 yards and reach the Pro Bowl. That amount should be much better than the original $870,000 contract he signed with the team as a free agent pickup.
