Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson's Best Days Are Behind Him

Chris Johnson is a superstar.

Chris Johnson is the worst investment a team has made in years.

Which of those statements is true? 2012 should reveal the answer.

In 2009, Johnson had one of the greatest seasons in NFL history, but has seen his production and esteem drop over the last two years. After signing a hefty $53.5 million extension before the 2011 season, Johnson's productivity fell off noticeably. More troubling than the raw numbers was the impression he gave to fans and teammates.

Johnson was afraid to run to contact. He missed holes. He was out of shape.

Whispers began about whether the Tennessee Titans had made a critical mistake in extending his deal. His final tally for the season included career lows in yards, carries, yards per carry and touchdowns. He did increase his output in the passing game, but not nearly enough to offset his slump running the ball.

With the Titans looking to add Peyton Manning to the offensive mix, Paul Kuharsky and I recently debated Johnson. Paul is optimistic Johnson can return to form as a runner, while still expressing concern over his fit with Manning as a pass blocker and receiver.

What worries me about Johnson is this: There have only been 15 running backs rush for 1,800 yards in a season. What they did after that is a decidedly mixed bag.

	Age for Best year	First 1,800-yard season	1400-yard seasons after that	1000-yard seasons after that	Best year after 1800-year
Jamal Anderson	26	1,846	0	1	1,024
Shaun Alexander	28	1,880	0	0	896
Tiki Barber	30	1,860	1	1	1,662
Jim Brown	27	1,863	2	2	1,544
Earl Campbell	25	1,934	0	2	1,376
Terrell Davis	26	2,008	0	0	701
Eric Dickerson	23	1,808	3	7	2,105
Ahman Green	26	1,883	0	2	1,163
Jamal Lewis	24	2,066	0	4	1,304
Walter Payton	23	1,852	5	8	1,684
Barry Sanders	26	1,883	4	4	2,053
O.J. Simpson	26	2,003	2	3	1,817
LaDanian Tomlinson	27	1,815	1	2	1,474
Ricky Williams	25	1,853	0	2	1,372
Chris Johnson	24	2,006	0	2	1,364

It's a scary list, to be honest. Three backs (Barber, Brown, Sanders) retired while still posting elite seasons. Three backs (Davis, Alexander, Anderson) were never the same after rushing for 1,800 yards.

Half of the 14 backs who gained 1,800 yards never again topped 1,400 any year in their career.

What works in Johnson's favor is that he's among the youngest backs on the list. Only Dickerson and Payton were younger than Johnson when they topped 1,800 yards, and both of them went on to have huge years later in their careers.

On the entire list, the only backs to top 1,400 yards more than once after having an 1,800-yard year are Dickerson, Payton, Simpson, Sanders and Brown—in other words, arguably the five greatest backs in NFL history.

This is the crossroads at which Johnson finds himself. His production has declined for two straight seasons. He can either turn it around and have one of the truly spectacular careers in league history, or he can join the ranks of Anderson, Alexander and Williams as backs who had big years, but never again matched their previous production.

If Manning does choose the Titans, it will be the defining moment of Johnson's career. He'll either follow Manning's lead and become a phenomenal worker and student of the game, or continue to shy away from contact and see his influence and playing time drop.

Titans fans cannot simply assume that Johnson will bounce back to form. It's possible, of course. He might be a bronze bust waiting to happen.

It's more likely that his days as an elite, high-volume runner are already over.