A year ago, Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was coming off a season-ending wrist injury and hoped to bounce back for a big season like he had in 2016. he was considered a candidate for Comeback Player o the Year.
He was not super productive, in part because of the terrible offensive system the Cardinals ran under Mike McCoy, in part because of poor offensive line play and in part because he simply didn’t play as well himself.
He now shows up on a list of nine candidates for this year’s Comeback Player of the Year, according to Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.
He shows up as No. 2 on the list after San Francisco 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
Johnson wasn’t injured in 2018 — he played all 16 games for the Cardinals after losing all but one game the season before to a dislocated wrist — but his production declined severely in an offense “designed” by former offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and carried out by replacement Byron Leftwich after McCoy was fired halfway into the 2018 season. One of the most versatile and dynamic backs in the NFL, Johnson was used more as a between-the-guards power back and nominal receiver, completely negating his rare outside speed and comprehensive route-running abilities. New head coach Kliff Kingsbury is too smart to put Johnson on the shelf like that, and you can expect a serious uptick from his 1,386 yards from scrimmage in 2018. After all, he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 2,118 in 2016, the last time he was healthy and in the care of a competent offensive coaching staff.
He was rarely used as a receiver in the passing game, taking more dumpoff passes than running actual receiver routes. He was turned into an inside runner in a line that struggled with consistency and injuries.
Now he will play for Kliff Kingsbury, who is expected to ignite the league with his offensive system.
If Johnson can have another 2,000-yard season from scrimmage, even though he didn’t come back from an injury, he will be a prime candidate for the award.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
