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.