Free agent running back Chris Johnson has resumed his NFL training after taking a bullet to the shoulder in March during a drive-by shooting that killed someone riding in the same car as him, TMZ reports.
Johnson, who spent a disappointing season with the New York Jets in 2014 after six years with the Tennessee Titans, had been training with FOX Sports NFL Insider Jay Glazer prior to the shooting.
Last season, Johnson rushed 155 times for the Jets, totaling 663 yards and one touchdown. Before the middling year, he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of his six seasons with the Titans, including a 2009 campaign in which he amassed 2,006 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns and earned the nickname “CJ2K” that he failed to live up to in the following seasons.
TMZ’s sources says that Johnson is “in talks” with numerous interested teams but offered no details about the level of interest or the number of suitors that have contacted him. Given that the NFL draft is just two weeks away, it’s likely that Johnson will have to wait on a new contract until May or June when teams have a better idea of what their running back situation looks like.
Nevertheless, Johnson appears confident that he will return to an NFL team this year. Or, at least he’s making sure he’s in game shape should any suitors come knocking with serious interest. He’s running sprints, and TMZ also posted video of an intense-looking kettlebell workout in March, before the shooting.
Johnson’s 2,000-yards-a-season days are likely behind him. However, he very well could latch onto a team in the coming months and serve as a change-of-pace or third-down back in 2015.