Chris Johnson is back, signs with the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals had some uncertainty about their running game, and Chris Johnson might have had some uncertainty about when or if he’d play in the NFL again. So the relationship between the two works.

Johnson, the former 2,000-yard back with the Tennessee Titans who was unsigned as a free agent all offseason, agreed to terms on a contract with the Cardinals. That was first reported by Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. Johnson had a scary incident this offseason in which he was shot in the shoulder, but apparently he’s OK now. It’s a one-year deal worth up to $2 million, according to multiple reports including ESPN.

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The question is if he is still the same back who electrified everyone back in 2009 with one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. That was a long time ago, and he hasn’t come close to replicating it. He has shown he is a consistent 1,000-yard back, reaching that mark in all six of his seasons with the Titans. Last year, with less of a role on the New York Jets, he gained 663 yards on 155 carries. Then he was unsigned all offseason, either because he’s 29 years old with 1,897 career carries, or the gunshot wound.

Arizona can use him. Andre Ellington has shown that he can be a big-play back, but he hasn’t shown he can handle a huge workload. Behind Ellington was David Johnson, a third-round rookie who has great measurables at 6-1, 224 pounds but is making a big leap from Northern Iowa. Having Johnson for some veteran insurance isn’t a bad idea.

Johnson isn’t going to rush for 2,000 yards like he did so many years ago in Tennessee, but that’s OK. He’s in a spot where he might end up being a nice contributor to a team with playoff hopes.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab