Chris Johnson wants to be paid like a superstar, but the Titans only want to pay him like a running back. There’s no denying Johnson is one of the best playmakers in the league. In his three-year career, he has rushed for 4,598 yards and 34 touchdowns. But the Titans have a 14-18 record over the past two seasons with Johnson as their main offensive threat.
Having one of the best backs in the league just doesn’t equate to winning anymore. Last year, the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl with James Starks in the backfield, a guy who had 29 career carries before rushing for 315 yards in four postseason games.
The last back to win the rushing title and Super Bowl in the same season was Terrell Davis in 1998.
It’s a quarterback-driven league, and teams have found success with a running-back-by-committee system.
Teams aren’t even wasting top draft picks on starting running backs anymore.
Three undrafted players rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season — including leading rusher Arian Foster — and three more backs who reached the 1,000-yard mark were drafted in the fifth round or later.
The NFL has devalued the running back position. The Titans just have to find a way to break that news to Johnson.
– Jeffrey Tomik
