Chris Johnson: 5 Reasons the Tennessee Titans RB Needs to End His Holdout Soon

Mike Munchak walked up the sideline, and could do nothing but nod and applaud the play of the Tennessee Titans offensive linemen. The running game gashed the St. Louis Rams defense for 182 yards and a one-yard Jamie Harper touchdown plunge.

That's not saying much.

Not only did St. Louis' run defense play horribly, but with an offensive line blocking as well as the Titans did on Saturday, I could have gone over 100 yards rushing.

Chris Johnson could be creating a reputation for himself as not just one of the best backs in the league now, but one of the best to ever play the game behind this stalwart offensive line. Instead, he's holding out for more money. The reasons that Johnson should return to the field sooner than later are aplenty, but here are just five.

Increased Risk of Injury

Thirty-million dollars guaranteed. About $10 million per season. Those are the numbers, according to NFL.com, that CJ2K wants in his new deal. Those are unprecedented dollars to hand out to a running back. 

Those numbers are especially high considering the severe beating running backs take on a weekly basis. Top it all off with the obscene number of injuries this preseason already, and you have a recipe for disaster for a back that could be on the shelf from just one false bump.

Johnson has been a durable back thus far, but he's also only entering his fourth year in the league. Another season of over 300 carries could spell long-term doom if the Titans extend him and meet his high demands.

Two Years Left on His Deal

Players have held out with two years left on their deal in the past, and some have gotten away with it. Still, that's a slippery slope to climb with a team when there's no reason for them to extend a new contract. The team has the player signed up to a long-term deal for a reason.

With an average of five yards per carry, 5,606 total yards and 38 total touchdowns, Johnson has been far and away one of the best backs in the league over the past three years, but he's also at a disadvantage just for the position he plays.

Which brings me to the next reason...

His Position Puts Him at a Disadvantage

For a running back to be paid as one of the "best playmakers" in the league is unprecedented, especially when you look at the numbers ($30 million guaranteed, $10 million per year).

He's a big-time playmaker no doubt, and he has the ability to take it to the house every time, but as a running back, it's just too risky.

There is a reason receivers get paid a lot more than running backs: They take less of a pounding. The Titans would be foolish to extend him right now and risk locking him up to big dollars with the possibility of injuries as high as ever, especially in this post-lockout era where players are falling off rosters faster than pork off tender southern ribs.

To extend a running back for around $11 million a year or more would be an egregious error. Especially not with an offensive line that looks like it can pave the way for anyone carrying the rock.

Let's ride a segue through the entire slideshow, shall we?

Solid Run-Blocking Offensive Line

Wow. You think having a former NFL offensive lineman for a head coach has rubbed off on the Tennessee Titans yet? Mike Munchak has his offensive linemen playing like five versions of himself, plowing the way in the running game like a Fisher extension on a GMC 4x4.

They had three unknown (in the NFL) running backs looking pretty sharp on Saturday night. Jamie Harper, Stafon Johnson and Herb Donaldson totaled 182 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries, averaging a whopping 5.7 yards per carry. 

Under the circumstances of the 2010 season, which started well and ended atrociously, Johnson had a very good year. He may have had a down year by his standards, as he had hoped for another 2,000-yard season and fell short with "just" 1,364, while averaging a solid but unspectacular 4.3 yards per carry.

Behind this offensive line, though, Johnson could be a 2,000-yard back for the second time in his career, becoming the first to ever do so in NFL history.

That is, if he gets to carry the ball enough to do so. 

We roll right from one subject to the next. It's almost as if I set it up this way...

Last of a Dying Breed

How many running backs are true feature backs these days? Gone are the days of the Emmitt Smiths, the Walter Paytons and the Eric Dickersons. NFL teams put their guys on rotation more and more, to keep everyone fresh and keep the running attack a big threat throughout the game.

Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson are the only two left. We've seen AD be productive over a long period of time, but how much longer can CJ2K handle 300-plus carries in a season? Would the Titans even allow it if so? It would seem foolish to invest a lot of money in the guy and not get the most out of him. At the same time, it would be even more stupid to run him into the ground after spending all that money on him.

There's a heck of a paradox.

If the feature back is a dying breed, that must mean he's...

Erik Frenz is the co-host of the PatsPropaganda and Frenz podcast. Follow Erik on Twitter  @erikfrenz.