It's no longer a sweepstakes for Chris Johnson's services but rather a flier for the team that acquires him.
NFL.com reported Sunday that the Buffalo Bills didn't really have interest in the Tennessee Titans running back, whom the Titans are scheduled to release Monday. But the reports of teams not interested in the 2009 NFL Offensive Player of the Year are beginning to outnumber the reports of teams that are interested.
Meanwhile, the Tennessean is adding insult to injury in Johnson's impending free agency, reporting that the Titans were not enthralled with Johnson's work ethic, which added to the list of reason the franchise released him.
According to the Tennessean, "Johnson has yet to miss a start because of an injury. He rarely missed a practice. He didn't get in trouble with the law. He didn't have a bad attitude. By all accounts, he's a good guy. Sometimes, however, Johnson rubbed team officials wrong because of what they felt was a questionable work ethic and laid-back approach. Let's put it this way: he wasn't the first guy in the meeting room. The team is trying to create a different culture."
Johnson has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his six seasons, though he has not come close to reproducing his 2,006-yard season in 2009. He's scored 16 rushing touchdowns his last three years combined, only two more than he had in 2009.
But Johnson has missed only one game since he came into the league, and that was during his rookie season in 2008.
NFL.com reported that the New York Jets are the likely frontrunner for his services, but are not willing to sign him to the $8 million salary he was originally scheduled to earn in 2014.
The Tennessean is reporting that the Atlanta Falcons have an interest as well. But some other teams on the radar, such as the Bills, Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys don't seem to have an active interest in pursuing Johnson.
The Tennessean added that Johnson had no interest in renegotiating his contract with the Titans, and the Titans feared even asking Johnson to take a pay cut because of how he might respond. That might also drive the price down for his services.
It'll be interesting to see whether Johnson considers retirement if no one offers him a contract near to what he feels he's worth. At least, it appears he'll require an attitude adjustment to work at a discounted rate.
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