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So the Tennessee Titans want to make running back Chris Johnson the highest paid running back in NFL history. Problem is, they are now willing after the 11th day of practice, and almost three weeks of training camp missed.
Johnson was the 24th overall pick in 2008, and has more rushing yards (4.568) than any other running back in the NFL over that span. Also, he was only the 6th player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season in 2008.
Still, the Titans felt compelled to pay him a base salary of $850,000, which was then reworked to a little over a million.
He has refused to report to camp until he gets a new contract, which is geared towards $30 million guaranteed.
Some call the Titans cheap and exploitative. Others call Johnson selfish and point that he is still under contract and should show up.
And yes. He should have showed up to training camp. But the Titans also should have paid him more and restructured the final two years remaining on his contract for more than a “measly” million dollars.
To us it comes off as selfish, but when you are one of only six players to rush for 2,000 yards, and lead the NFL in rushing yards over the past three seasons, I think you can make a point that Johnson is deserving of more than a 6-figure base salary.
Consider this: The Carolina Panthers recently gave DeAngelo Williams a five-year, $43 million dollar deal with $21 million guaranteed. Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is set to make more than $10 million in the final year of his contract. And the St. Louis Rams’ Stephen Jackson landed a 6-year, $44 million deal in 2008.
Small market teams offer small market prices, but Carolina isn’t what you call a big market either.
We can try and put this in financial terms understandable to us. Let’s say the starting base salary for a marketing manager is $60,000 and you are making just that. Another manager at the firm has the same job and is making $600,000. Do you see something wrong with that?
Maybe not the best analogy, but marketing firms are incentive based, and salaries could fluctuate based on performance, similar to how players contribute and perform in the NFL.
But the fact does remain: Chris Johnson was under contract, agreed to the terms that raised his base salary to a little over a million dollars, and should have showed up for training camp.
The wrinkles could still be ironed out. But him not being in camp hurts the Titans, because Tennessee has a new coach, Mike Munchak.
Even Munchak agrees valuable times is missed when Johnson is sitting out.
“Even though he may come in in great shape, you are not getting the reads, you are not running behind the offensive line, you are not making your cuts,” Munchak told ESPN.com.
“All that kind of stuff is hard for any back to just come back and pick it up.”
Then again, it took the Titans almost three weeks into training camp to budge and decide on restructuring his contract.
It’s a double-edged sword hurting both parties. The Titans can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?
If not, they might find Johnson sitting out even longer. He’s not bluffing either.