Getty David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals
It was not too long ago Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was considered the pinnacle at his position in all of the NFL. Now, just a few years removed from his All-Pro campaign of 2016, the running back is officially on his way out of town.
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Texans Land David Johnson in Trade With Cardinals
The Houston Texans have just greatly bolstered their running back position. Shortly after the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson reported that the Texans were one of four teams to have shown interest in Johnson as a potential trade option, Houston pulled the trigger on a deal that landed them the coveted running back.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cardinals and Texans have agreed to a deal that will send Johnson to Houston.
Trade: Cardinals and Texans are agreeing to a trade that will send David Johnson to Houston, sources tell ESPN.
Little did we know, that Johnson was just a puzzle piece in a much bigger deal that would ultimitely send wideout DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona (see full trade details here).
Johnson lands with a team who a season ago deployed a running back duo of Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde, the latter of which rushed for his first-ever 1,000-yard campaign. However, Hyde was extremely Jekyll & Hyde on the year, rushing for 27 yards or fewer in three of his final five games.
Johnson Was Quietly Impressive in 2019
While Johnson may have lost his starting job to Kenyan Drake in Arizona, his 2019 statistics back up the belief that DJ still has some juice left in the tank. Prior to being stricken by the injury bug, Johnson averaged nearly 120 yards per game over five of the Cardinals’ first six games in 2019. That type of production is even better than Drake’s impressive eight-game run with the Cardinals where he averaged 101+ yards from scrimmage.
Johnson finished last season with 715 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns on 130 touches. While he may not be the elite runner of the football he once was, his dual-threat abilities out of the backfield are still highly regarded throughout the league.
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