Titans RB Chris Johnson said he’s closer to 100 percent after the first surgery of his career. The procedure repaired a torn meniscus, but doctors have not yet cleared him to run. The next phase of rehab will be in a swimming pool, strengthening the muscles around his left knee.
Johnson was injured in the Week 3 win against the Chargers but said he never considered having surgery during the season. He’s rarely missed a practice in six seasons as a pro.
“I have never been a guy to sit out when something was hurt. The only way I would sit out is if there was no way possible I could play. If I can work through it, I want to play. I want to be out there to help my team win, and that’s the way it’s always been,” he said.
“I am not going to make excuses, but you can talk to anybody who’s had a torn meniscus and they know how it affects you. I’m not going to sit here and tell you if I wouldn’t have had a torn meniscus I would have had 1,600-1,700 rushing yards last year, but my teammates know what I was going through.”
Johnson is a bounce back candidate if he lands in a good environment. He obviously blames the knee (at least partially) for his struggles in 2013, but it's not like Shonn Greene (3.8 YPC) was any better. The Titans struggled in run blocking and that hurt Johnson as well. The issue now is his salary, and he has already said he's not going to take a pay cut.
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