Cardinals Considering Extension For CJ2K

Cardinals GM Steve Keim says that the one-year contract under which running back Chris Johnson is now playing is “something we will look at” in terms of a potential extension, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. Johnson, who sat on the shelf for much of the offseason, has enjoyed a surprising career resurgence in 2015.

Johnson, 30, is tied for the second-most rushing yards in the league with 405 yards, behind Bears star Matt Forte who has 438. What makes CJ2K ‘s play even more impressive is the fact that he did not have a training camp. Immediately after signing with Arizona in August, Johnson suffered a hamstring injury which kept him on the sidelines. Some might point to Johnson’s play through five weeks of football as a fluke, but a more optimistic observer might argue that Johnson could continue to soar as he shakes off his summer rust. Of course, the Cardinals are expected to proceed with caution given that Johnson is at a very advanced age for running backs.

Last season for the Jets, Johnson ran for just 663 yards, the first time in his career he recorded fewer than 1,000 yards in a season. However, he averaged a respectable 4.3 yards per carry for Gang Green in 2014. Meanwhile, the ground game was a weak spot in Arizona last season, as the team’s leading rusher,Andre Ellington, totaled just 660 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. No other Cardinals back had more than 250 rushing yards and Keim won’t let Johnson get away if he feels that he can be the bell cow for Arizona’s offense.

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