Chris Johnson agrees to terms with the Titans!

By Steve O’Reilly

In what could have been a long bitter standoff ended today as the Tennessee Titans and Running Back Chris Johnson have agreed to terms. This deal is different than most however and Johnson didn’t exactly sign a new contract. Instead, the 2000 yard rusher from 2009 will receive a raise! His base pay has increased about 2.5 Million for the season. He was and probably still is looking for a the big payday, somewhere around 30 Million but will have to settle for the raise for now.

The move shows that Johnson is dedicated to playing football for the Titans in 2010 and is meeting them halfway in contract negotiations. With the limited Offensive talent that they have, Johnson really holds all the cards but had softened his stance in order to get something done. With 11 straight 100 yard Rushing games, the 3rd Year Back is 3 shy of breaking Barry Saunders record for 14 in a row. He also is 3rd behind Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James for the most rushing yards to begin his career. Johnson felt he was grossly underpaid, looking at $550 thousand this season and the lowest paid Running Back on the Titans Roster. Instead of playing hardball the two sides came to an agreement and worked out deal to get CJ in camp on time.

It was a move that we knew would happen, the Titans have little choice. With Vince Young’s recent altercation the league may penalize him to start the year and the Titans offense, save Johnson, is lacking weapons. Leverage is a big part in negotiations and Johnson had it all. While the deal isn’t absolutely complete, the two sides have formally announced that they have reached an agreement and the State of Tennessee can collectively exhale now that the best weapon in football is back in fold.

One of the possible hangups with originally doing the deal is that Johnson still has a few years left on his contract. Typically, teams don’t like to renegotiate that early in a players contract as it sets a bad precedent with other players. Another hangup could be the looming work stoppage in 2011 and Owners are leery to dole out big cash. Johnson however is well worth it and the move was a smart one on both sides. The Titans don’t have to break the bank and Chris can continue to pile up numbers and increase his value while continuing to look for the big payday!

You do have to tip your hat to a man that did what it took to make the deal happen and give the fans what they want, the best chance to win!