Eagles Claim RB Kerryon Johnson

Kerryon Johnson will not make it to free agency. The Eagles submitted a successful waiver claim Friday and will bring in the three-year veteran running back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Lions waived the 2018 second-round pick this week. Johnson, who has battled injuries as a pro but returned to play in 16 games last season, has one year left on his rookie deal.

Sitting sixth on the waiver wire, Philadelphia has Miles Sanders entrenched as its starter. The team also rosters Boston Scott and used a fifth-round pick on Kenneth Gainwell last week. An Auburn alum who went off the 2018 draft board 43rd overall, Johnson fell out of favor in Detroit. The Eagles also have a new coaching staff, however, and will see if Johnson can play a complementary role.

Although Johnson joined Mikel Leshoure and Ameer Abdullah as 2010s Lions second-round backs that fell short of expectations, he did show some promise as a rookie. Johnson averaged 5.4 yards per carry in 2018 and scored four touchdowns in 10 games. However, the first of his knee injuries sidetracked that season. Johnson suffered a knee injury in 2019 as well. The 2018 knee malady did not require an IR stay, but Johnson went on IR twice in 2019.

Interestingly, the 23-year-old back did not miss any time in 2020. But the Lions had moved in a different direction. They drafted D’Andre Swift in Round 2 and signed Adrian Peterson. Both played in front of Johnson, who logged 52 carries for 181 yards during an off-radar season.

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