Running back Chris Johnson can make as much as $2 million with the Cardinals if he hits incentives tied to his rushing yards and making the Pro Bowl.
The deal is for the veteran’s minimum of $870,000 without those escalators and has no signing bonus, so it won’t cost the Cardinals much if Johnson is part of a running back rotation this season. It’s not enough money to guarantee him a spot in such a rotation, however. Coach Bruce Arians said Tuesday that he told Johnson (and veteran tight end Jermaine Gresham), via Darren Urban of the team’s website, that they are “not promised anything” more than a chance to compete for a roster spot.
Arians also said that Johnson’s physical with the team turned up no red flags, outside of the “bullet in [Johnson’s] trap.” Arians was referencing the fact that Johnson was shot in the shoulder earlier this year, but the team obviously wasn’t too concerned that it would affect him on the football field.
The rest of the preseason will determine whether Johnson, bullet wound and all, gets a spot with the Cardinals. He’ll have a full complement of competition with rookie David Johnson back to work on Tuesday after recovering from a hamstring injury.
