Chris Johnson Comments on Role with Jets Under Rex Ryan

Two days after the New York Jets declined their 2015 option on Chris Johnson's contract, the former Pro Bowl running back is speaking out on his failed season in New York.

Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show (via Chris Law) Monday afternoon, Johnson said Jets brass mislead him on his role with the offense during the negotiations process:

NJ.com's Dom Cosentino provided further comments from Johnson, including the following:

"

Basically, it was a situation where I was going there to be the guy or whatever. It was still said, yeah, both guys [Johnson and Ivory] were going to get playing time. I think it was like after the [third] game or something like that, it just switched over and I started getting less and less playing time, and not knowing where it came from. [...]

Yeah, like a lot of things, probably, I guess, calling the shots, as far as with the team and things that goes on on Sundays, and whatever. I think a lot of it was out of Rex's hands because when I sat down and talked to Rex before I signed with the Jets, my role and my situation were explained to me totally different to what actually happened. That's just what it was. It wasn't never a type of thing where I was just being outplayed or anything like that. It was never a situation where I got the opportunity to show my talents and be used the way that I was supposed to be used.

"

Johnson, 29, rushed for a career-low 663 yards and one touchdown in 2014. Both of those numbers were stark deviations from his normal production. He never rushed for less than 1,000 yards or received fewer than 250 carries during his six-season run with the Tennessee Titans.

In New York, Johnson was relegated to a timeshare with Chris Ivory and became the clear second option as the season progressed. He posted only one 100-yard game, marking the third straight season his explosive performances have been fewer and further between. Football Outsiders' DVOA metric ranked Johnson 30th among the 43 running backs who received at least 100 carries in 2014.

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

The Jets declined Johnson's 2015 option Saturday, two days before they were due to pay him a $500,000 roster bonus. They saved $3.75 million on their 2015 cap and $3.5 million in cash by releasing Johnson before the guarantee date.

Johnson will officially become a free agent March 10, the first day of NFL free agency.

While he still performed at a high enough level to generate some interest on the open market, there's unlikely to be any role confusion in 2015. Johnson, heading into his age 30 season, is firmly in the "role player" stage of his career. Pro Football Focus' elusiveness rating ranked Johnson 31st among 32 qualifying running backs. The website's breakaway percentage metric had him in the middle of the pack.

For someone whose peak was defined by elusiveness and breakaway speed, Johnson's one-year stint wasn't what anyone thought it would be. It may, however, have served as a wake-up call as he re-enters free agency.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.