The New England Patriots’ primary kickoff returner in Super Bowl LX is heading to Tennessee.
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Tennessee Titans are signing veteran running back D’Ernest Johnson to a one-year contract. Schultz noted that Johnson brings more than 1,000 career rushing yards, 50-plus receptions and extensive experience in the return game.
Johnson has over 1,000 career rushing yards, 50+ catches for 400+ yards, and can contribute as a returner with over 900 career return yards.
Titans team reporter Jim Wyatt noted Monday that Tony Pollard, Nicholas Singleton and Kalel Mullings all missed practice, leaving the group short on healthy bodies.
Johnson, 30, now gets an opportunity to turn his late-season work in New England into an NFL roster spot.
Johnson Earned Super Bowl Role With Patriots
GettySANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 08: D’Ernest Johnson #34 of New England Patriots returns the opening kickoff during the first quarter of Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Johnson joined the Patriots’ practice squad on Oct. 29, 2025, after previous stops in Cleveland, Jacksonville, Baltimore and Arizona. New England elevated him three times in November before promoting him to the 53-man roster in December.
His offensive workload was modest, but his value on special teams became increasingly clear. Johnson finished the regular season with 25 rushing yards and 128 yards on five kickoff returns.
New England released Johnson from the active roster on Jan. 12, then brought him back to the practice squad one day later. He was subsequently elevated for all four of the Patriots’ postseason games, including Super Bowl LX.
Johnson handled two kickoffs for 59 yards in the AFC Championship Game, and remained part of the return plan on the NFL’s biggest stage. In New England’s 29-13 loss to Seattle in Super Bowl LX, he returned four kickoffs for 103 yards, averaging 25.8 yards per return.
The veteran has shown he can contribute as a runner when called upon, too. His best NFL season came in Cleveland in 2021, when he rushed for 534 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also ran for 146 yards and a touchdown in his first career start that season.
Johnson enters Tennessee with 1,014 career rushing yards and 53 receptions for 465 yards.
Titans Turn to Veteran Amid RB Injuries
The Titans entered training camp with six running backs, but several injuries have complicated the rotation.
Pollard, Singleton and Mullings were all sidelined Monday, while Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut and Michael Carter were available. Wyatt wrote that Tennessee was “thin at running back” during the session.
Johnson gives the Titans a veteran who can handle snaps on offense without needing to be featured in the backfield. His return experience also gives him an avenue to make his roster case as Tennessee sorts through the bottom of the depth chart.
Pollard and Spears entered camp as Tennessee’s set-in-stone top pairing, while fifth-round rookie Singleton added another option to the mix. The battle farther down the depth chart is less settled, especially with health becoming a factor.
That makes Johnson an intriguing late-camp addition.
He doesn’t need a large rushing workload to provide value, and his recent postseason experience gives Tennessee some juice on special teams.
For the Titans, it adds insurance at a position where they need more healthy bodies as of this week.
Former Patriots Super Bowl Returner Lands 1-Year Deal With Titans