Titans RB Johnson expects contract to be done before training camp

The Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is still waiting for a result of the contract negotiation between his agent and the team. But it seems that the talks have not been going on well as Johnson told reporters that he still had no idea of what he could get in the new season, but he expected that everything would be finalized by the time of training camp.

“I’m letting my agent and the team handle that. Right now we’re at a standstill, and hopefully when camp starts we’ll have an outcome,” Johnson said when attending an ESPY event on Wednesday night to receive the award of Best Breakthrough Athlete. Rushing for 2,006 yards last season, Johnson thought he deserved a new long-term contract that would pay him at least $30 million in guaranteed money. But the Titans did not managed to enter the post season although they improved a lot in the second half of the 2009 season, so it’s unlikely for them to give players a significant salary raise before they lead the team further into the playoffs.

During the ESPN event, Johnson also denied the reports of his plan to put on New Orleans Saints jersey if no deal was going to be done by the time of training camp. He said that he would always be with his teammates when the team does something.

Titans refuse to give RB Johnson lucrative contract

The Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson has skipped all the offseason workouts because of contract disputes. He has been looking for a highest pay for offensive player in NFL, that is a contract with $30 million to $40 million in guaranteed money.

Titans head coach Jeff Fisher’s response to Johnson’s demands was sharp and critical. "So would I," Fisher said. "You know he's under contract right now." Yeah, everyone wants a contract like that but they dare not ask for that much because they know well how a team treats their players. Johnson seems to overrate himself and compare himself to the best paid players, most of which are quarterbacks, like the No.4 quarterback in Brett Favre jersey, the Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Peyton Manning, and even Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees is not asking for a salary increase to match his Super Bowl win. No wonder the Titans have always been ignorant about Johnson’s sitting out.

Fisher’s words made the point. Johnson is still under a contract with the Titans, so he is free to miss voluntary workouts but must face penalty for missing mandatory team activities. Comparing to the hard-to-reach new contract, keeping the job firm should be most important to Johnson by the time of preseason.

Impossible Task: 5-6Titans to beat 11-0 Colts

Winning five straight games since they changed quarterback to Vince Young, the Tennessee Titans are now thinking that they may have the chance to be the first team who beats the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts of the season, something no one would expected when Titans met Colts for the first time in this season with a 0-4 start.

But even with a winning streak of six games, it still sounds like an impossible task for the 5-6 Titans to beat 11-0 Colts. But wait, it just sounds possible for Young, who has led the Titans to 6-0 since taking the starting job, to bring the Titans another win, although Colts Quarterback Peyton Manning may not allow that to happen.

While the Colts are looking to match an NFL record with their 21st consecutive regular-season victory, the Titans are trying to win sixth straight game, have a crucial win to remain in playoff and be the first team beating Colts.

Each team has its own aces. The Colts have top quarterback Peyton Manning, and four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney could wear back his Colts jersey and return to play with the team this Sunday. As for the Titans, Young has thrown for a career-high 387 yards and converted three fourth downs on the final drive, and they have the NFL’s leading rusher Chris John, who has run for 1,396 yards in the games he has played.

Impossible or possible, any kind of end of the game will be as exciting.