Caleb Harris
Nearly a decade ago, David Johnson played a key role in the Arizona Cardinals’ surprising run to the 2015 NFC Championship Game. Now, after eight seasons, an All-Pro and Pro Bowl nod, 57 touchdowns and nearly 7,000 total yards Afterwards, the veteran running back is calling it a career.
Johnson, 32, announced his retirement on Sunday via Instagram, ending a career that started quickly before being marred by injuries.
“There have been ups and downs, but I have felt very fortunate and honored by the people who have supported me along this journey,” Johnson wrote in his retirement post. “The relationships and brotherhoods I have formed with so many of my canines will never be forgotten. … When all is said and done, I truly hope I have impacted at least one person on and off the field in a positive way.”
As he alluded to in his retirement post, Johnson’s rise to the position NFL stardom is notable given that he received little fanfare coming out of high school. He made the most of his time at Northern Iowa, racking up over 6,400 all-purpose yards and 63 touchdowns during his four seasons with the Panthers.
Johnson’s success in the college ranks led the Cardinals to select him with the 86th pick in 2015. NFL Draft. He began his rookie season as a backup before an injury to former All-Pro Chris Johnson pushed him into the starting lineup. Johnson had 120 total yards and a touchdown in his first game and 187 rushing yards and three touchdowns two weeks later in a win over the Eagles.
In 2016, Johnson blossomed into one of NFL more productive back. He rushed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 80 passes for 879 yards and four more scores. Johnson was tabbed that year as an All-Pro.
However, injuries began to take their toll on Johnson late in the 2016 season. After injuring his knee in the Cardinals’ final game of that season, Johnson missed all but one game in 2017 after injuring his wrist in Week 1. Despite these setbacks, the Cardinals granted Johnson a three-year, $39 million extension (which included $30 million guaranteed) heading into the 2018 season.
Johnson had a productive year in 2018, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards, racking up 1,386 total yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. But his production dropped considerably in 2019, and during that offseason the Cardinals traded him to the Texans in exchange for wideout DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick.
After a solid starting year in Houston (he had over 1,000 total yards and eight touchdowns), Johnson had just 99 touches in 13 games during the 2021 season, his final year with the Texans. He spent the 2022 season with the Saints, appearing in five regular season games.
During his career, Johnson founded Johnson Family Mission 31 Foundationwhose mission is “to provide opportunities, support and resources to seriously ill children and their families, offering daily support and transformative experiences”.
