Ten Reasons The Titans Shouldn't Pay Chris Johnson
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 12:02AM Joe Simmons 
Everyone out there keeps wondering what the Tennessee Titans are going to pay Chris Johnson. The man has made his mark in his first few years in the league and he understands that the next five years will probably be his most productive. The problem for Johnson is that he is locked in a deal that extends for two more years.
Make no mistake about it, Johnson is a game changer, but to demand that type of money is absurd. There is very little people who will argue that Adrian Peterson is the best back in the league. The Titans are willing to pay Johnson more than that. Johnson wants to be paid like a quarterback. First of all no one commands that type of money, not even Larry Fitzgerald who just robbed the Cardinals. You can take it to the bank that he will never see any more than the guaranteed money on that deal. The rest is fluff.
Johnson is persistent and willing to sit out the entire season. The bad thing about that is that under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Titans can extend the current contract one more year if he decides to sit out under contract. So that only prolongs the problem. At that rate, Johnson who is about to turn 26 will be 28 years old when his contract expires. Tennessee can play hard ball like the Bengal's and keep him under contract even if he decides he doesn't want to play.
I have my reservations, but there are 10 reasons why the Titans shouldn't pay Chris Johnson.
- No running back is worth what he is asking for.
- Name a top 3 running back that has won a Super Bowl in the past 10 years. I bet that list is short.
- With that much money you can improve your team in a lot of other areas.
- Running backs come a dime a dozen. They may not be as fast but they will definitely be as dynamic as he is.
- Nobody is going to trade for that contract.
- In 2 years 4.2 speed will be 4.3 and you can get that without any miles on it in the draft.
- The organization would benefit more by trading him now and getting some picks for him.
- They are already rebuilding, they may as well replace the last step and start new.
- At his size, he will become more injury prone as he slows down.
- You can't sell him as the face of the franchise because he doesn't look the part.
The last reason may be more personal than factual, but have you ever heard the man talk. Maybe you agree or disagree. Hit me in the comments section.
Anyway Stay Breezy ~ I'm Out!
Chris Johnson, Football, Hold Out, Running Backs, Salary, Tennessee Titans, Trade Rumors | 6 Comments | Share Article
Reader Comments (6)
CJ is crazy.....
I'm all for paying the players, but your reasons make sense.
So I sent this post to my brother who is an Oilier/Titans stanley and he had the following to say:
The short version: "The owner is responsible for two things: ticket sales and winning games...If you can't win the championship you can at least win games...CJ will bring you his worth in ticket sales alone."
The long version: "One thing he forgot or failed to mention is that the Titans are a run first team. Always have been and always will be. And the 85 bears won with a running game....oh wait.....Pittsburgh won with the bus. Please let these people know to stick wit the facts.....and finally for the record...the Rams and the Ravens won with great running backs. It is the cornerstone of football.
He also failed to mention that the running backs we have now absolutely with out a doubt suck to high heaven. They are terrible...they can't catch and they can't run. They pose no threat at all to any defense. CJ adds a flavor to make us at least competitive. That is all there is. Historically the Oiler/Titans have never paid well for any player which is why we never had any great receiver...and in my opinion why we never won a championship. Even Eddie George had contract issues.
As far as CJ goes...every great running back has been hurt b4. That never stopped anyone from paying them the money. And if u can name any running back in the past 10 years to go for 2000 yards and get paid 800,000 a year in this league...it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. NOT POSSIBLE. 2000 yards commands the money. Its pretty simple. If they release him.....someone will pay him the big money. Besides name one person who the Titans have spent their money on. No big name receivers, only a college QB. What are they doing with the money? That is my question."
Again...these were the words of my older brother a Titian stanley :)
So here is my comment...Saying that Chris Johnson can't be the face of the franchise I don't agree with that. Yes I know that QBs are the traditional faces but TEN doesn't have that so go to the next in line which to me is Johnson. I don't know if they should give him all of the money he is asking for, similar with DeSean Jackson in PHL, BUT they should give him, and Jackson, something because at the end of the day the Titans, and by extension the Eagles, are still in contention/worth talking about due to the work of Johnson, and by extension Jackson. If these franchises don't take time to reward these guys on some level...someone else will possibly getting a ring or league championship that could have been theirs for a few more dollars a a bit more patience.
@DNMP brother
I can agree that he needs to be paid, but they don't need to break the bank. Is he worth 8 million a year. Yeah I can agree on that but to ask for 16 million a year is absurd for a runner. Quite frankly he deserves money but not what he is asking for. They were willing to put 8 million a year on the table and he balked on it then he is asking too much.
And for the record the two top 3 runners to win super bowls as of late, Marshall Faulk '99 and Emmit Smith '95... Jerome Bettis wasn't the featured back anymore in Pittsburgh when they won. It's 2011 now.. The league is a pass first league dominated by quarterbacks. Runners may be the bright spot for a few games but they rarely take center stage anymore. That's why the top paid players in the league are qb's and left tackles who keep their blind side protected.
@DNMP
I can agree with your assessment... He should be rewarded but you don't give him the keys to the ship. As far as face of the franchise, Still debatable. You have to be able to hold conversation and maintain dignity in a press room. For someone with all the accolades, he is never interviewed for anything he does. There is a reason for that. Less talented players get interviews before him.
CJ will not be the face of any NFL franchise. He does not have the soft skills for such a role. I love dude but he is not the one. The age of the running back is gone. The game is too violent for an owner to pay that much for the position. I am sure that many owners in the league undertand the risk/benefit ratio. They know the QB position gives better returns. Running backs have short careers. CJ is getting older and will soon start to slow down. He can now avoid the big hit but that is going to change in 1-2 years.