Kerryon Johnson is entering the third year of his contract with the Detroit Lions. With two injury-riddled seasons, this year has to be his year.
Detroit Lions running back Kerryon Johnson hasn’t been a disappointment whatsoever. I just want to make that clear. Ever since Detroit legend Barry Sanders retired, the Lions haven’t been able to find a solid running back long-term.
James Stewart had solid seasons in the early part of the 21st century, but left after the 2002 season. Jahvid Best would’ve been a solid long-term back for Detroit, but sadly concussions cut his career short.
Ameer Abdullah‘s tenure here was underwhelming to say the least. All in all, the Detroit Lions have had no luck when it comes to the running back position.
Some may argue that Kerryon is trending to keep that bad luck going. After getting drafted in 2018, Johnson has only played 18 games. That’s definitely a red flag if you’re trying to make a guy your franchise running back.
Despite being injured in his first two seasons, he’s been productive in the time that he’s been on the field. In 2018, Johnson played 10 games and ran for 641 yards on 118 attempts with three touchdowns.
In 2019, he only played eight games. He put up 403 yards on 113 attempts, tacking on three touchdowns once again. The stats don’t tell the whole story though. The numbers may be low, but they’re explosive numbers.
Kerryon has shown flashes of the greatness and toughness that we all know he has. The injuries are what’s holding him back. He enters the third year of his rookie contract this upcoming season. While he’s signed for four seasons, everyone knows that your third year is where you earn your money.
Johnson has to play all 16 games next season. If not, he could put himself in some hot water. The fans could start to give up on him. I know that injuries aren’t really the players’ fault. Some bodies are made for football, some aren’t. It doesn’t help how the lifespan of most NFL running backs isn’t long as well.
All in all, this has to be Kerryon Johnson’s year. If it isn’t, there’s a college running back of the name Travis Etienne that’s already been mocked to the Detroit Lions.