Signing Chris Johnson was always going to be a move that carried some risk, but the 28-year-old running back insisted that a bad knee isn’t part of that equation.
Following a report Thursday that Johnson has arthritis in his knee — the one on which he underwent arthroscopic surgery in January to repair a meniscus tear — the new Jets running back claimed it is not true.
“No, that’s not accurate,” Johnson said. “I’m pretty sure if they had major concerns of my knee or whatever, pretty sure I wouldn’t have passed the physical.”
Johnson, who signed a free-agent contract with the Jets on Wednesday, said his surgically repaired knee is improving, but it is unclear if he will be available for the Jets’ offseason program.
“Once offseason workouts start, I’m ready to get in there with the trainers of the Jets and we’ll see where I’m at and go from there,” Johnson said, noting that he wasn’t concerned that his knee would be an issue by the start of training camp.
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Johnson is the fifth running back on the Jets roster along with Ivory, Bilal Powell, Mike Goodson and Alex Green although Goodson is likely on his way out. A year ago, Johnson didn’t hide his displeasure about the Titans signing ex-Jet Shonn Greene. Now, he’s the new back in town and expected to work in tandem with Ivory and is singing a very different tune.
“Last year, that was last year,” Johnson said Thursday. “This year, it’s about winning.”
Johnson said he hasn’t been told how the carries or roles will break down with the Jets. Time will tell if Johnson will start to care more about how often he touches the ball when the season starts, but for now, he was talking all about the team.
“They know how to win over there,” Johnson said. “They’ve got a great defense, and anytime you’ve got a great defense, that automatically gives yourself a good chance of winning.”
Of course, Johnson is joining a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2010. Clearly, Johnson is buying owner Woody Johnson’s belief that the Jets are trending up.
The team’s newest player could be part of that upward movement — his speed brings a new dynamic to Marty Mornhinweg’s offense — although some question whether Johnson’s best years are behind him. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry with the Titans last year.
“I know there (are) a lot of people out there that still believe in me, including the Jets, that’s why they wanted to bring me in,” Johnson said. “But there are still a lot of people out there who say what they’re going to say and feel how they want to feel. . . . It’s always great to have things to put a chip on your shoulder, to have things to motivate you.”
