Chris Johnson Inks Four-Year, $54 Million Deal

Added on Sep 01, 2011 by Scott in

NFL

‘Tis the season to sign elite NFL players to mega contracts. In the last two days, Michael Vick and Frank Gore have received lucrative new deals from the Eagles and 49ers, respectively. Add Chris Johnson to the list. After a prolonged holdout, the Tennessee Titans have awarded their best player a four-year, $53.5 million extension, making him one of the highest paid players in the league.

The 25-year-old Johnson is entering his fourth season. In his first three he has rushed for 4,598 yards, caught 137 passes for 1,008 yards and scored 38 total touchdowns. His 2,006 yards in 2009 ranks fifth all-time for single season rushing yards.

When taking the two years remaining on his rookie contract into account, Johnson will earn roughly $9.21 million over the next six years. Even though the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson earns slightly more on a per season basis, the $30 million in guaranteed money is a gaudy amount for a running back.

Regardless of the fine print, Johnson got the long-term deal he wanted and the Titans prevented any ugliness from carrying over into the regular season. Tennessee is lacking in the playmaker department, so having the man known as CJ2K back on the field is critical to their success in 2011 and beyond.

Free agent Matt Hasselbeck was brought aboard to solidify the present at quarterback and Jake Locker was drafted to hopefully solidify the future. If behaviorally challenged wide receiver Kenny Britt grows up and promising tight end Jared Cook realizes his full potential, the Titans could have the makings of a potent offense.

The biggest issue in Tennessee is how quickly they can turn things around. The Jeff Fisher era is over. New head coach Mike Munchak will be tasked with injecting some energy into a franchise that went 14-18 during the last two seasons after going 13-3 in 2008.

The Titans open the season on the road in Jacksonville on September 11th.

Source: Yahoo! Sports