When the Titans were struggling to get Chris Johnson going earlier this year, the absence of Javon Ringer as an alternative at running back was mentioned as a problem for the Tennessee offense.
You haven’t heard much of that over the last two weeks with Ringer out of the lineup thanks to a knee injury. Johnson has run for 286 yards and put to rest some of the doubts about his ability to be the back he was before getting a big contract from the Titans.
And now the prospect of turning to Ringer has disappeared as well. The Titans announced Friday that they have placed Ringer on injured reserve with a torn MCL. The typical recovery time for such an injury would leave the door open for Ringer to get back to the team before the end of the season, but they did not designate him for return so his season is over.
It has been a rough year for Ringer. He battled back from an infection that threatened to cost him his arm early in the season and then suffered the knee injury during Tennessee’s loss to the Vikings. Had he been healthier when Johnson was struggling, he might have gotten an extended chance to prove himself as an NFL running back, but he didn’t and now heads into free agency without much to use to sell himself around the league.
Jamie Harper will continue as the Titans’ primary backup running back. Safety Tracy Wilson has been promoted from the practice squad to take Ringer’s place in the lineup.
