The Houston Texans won’t have running back Lamar Miller for all of 2019 after he tore his ACL in preseason Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys. Instead, the team will boast a combination of Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde.
Johnson, considered to be the primary threat out of the backfield, is benefiting from Miller’s presence on the team, even if he can’t play. Miller wants to help the team win in any way; he’s doing so by acclimating Johnson to the Texans.
“We don’t have him [Miller] on the field, but he’s always in the building, he’s always around,” said Johnson on Thursday. “It’s like he’s always here.”
Miller has accepted the role as Johnson’s mentor in Houston to prepare him for the 2019 season. He’s doing so with constant communication, and it’s helping Johnson.
“We communicate every day, we talk, give pointers,” said Johnson. “He’s definitely helping me transition, him not being here, he’s helping me, phone call, film, whatever it is. We keep in constant communication.”
Johnson isn’t thought of a typical running back — he’s a receiving ace with the ability to run routes anywhere on the field. However, learning from Miller, who is that, may buck that trend.
