Player News

• David Johnson: Hangs it up

  05/19/2024 • By RotoWire

  Johnson announced he is retiring from football Sunday. Johnson will call it a career after playing eight seasons in the NFL, though he last played during the 2022 campaign, when he appeared in five games for the Saints. The 2015 third-round pick burst onto the scene during his second season with Arizona, as he led the league with 2,118 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns across 373 touches. The one-time All-Pro's career was quickly sidetracked when he suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 1 of 2017. He ultimately spent five seasons with the Cardinals before being included in the trade that brought wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona from Houston. Johnson went on to play two relatively lackluster seasons with the Texans before tacking onto the Saints' practice squad in 2022. He finishes with 4,071 rushing yards, 2,805 receiving yards and 57 total touchdowns across 92 career games.

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• Saints' David Johnson: Has 28 receiving yards in finale

  01/09/2023 • By RotoWire

  Johnson had zero carries and gathered in both of his targets for 28 yards during Sunday's 10-7 loss to the Panthers. Johnson's modest numbers represented a season high in scrimmage yards as the Saints' offense posted yet another unremarkable outing. He also played just one more offensive snap than fellow backup running back Eno Benjamin (six). Over five games with New Orleans in 2022, Johnson recorded 12 carries for 24 yards and four receptions on four targets for 47 yards. These are by far the lowest marks of the 31-year-old's career outside of the 2017 season in which he suffered a season-ending wrist injury Week 1. Johnson joined the New Orleans practice squad in mid-November, and he was eventually signed to the active roster after Mark Ingram sustained a season-ending MCL tear in early December. With both of these aging veterans set to hit free agency, it's unlikely that either of them will factor into the Saints' future at running back.

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• Saints' David Johnson: Usage uptick in frigid win

  12/25/2022 • By RotoWire

  Johnson posted seven rushes for 16 yards and caught his only target for eight yards during Saturday's 17-10 win versus Cleveland. Johnson's workload bumped up in the Saints' ground-and-pound offensive game plan Week 16. He also caught a pass over the middle on third down to keep New Orleans' second drive of the game going. However, the No. 2 running back still finished third in rushing attempts, as versatile quarterback Taysom Hill (nine snaps) and Alvin Kamara (20 snaps) led the team's option rushing attack. With third-string running back Eno Benjamin exclusively filling in on special teams during the absence of Dwayne Washington (illness), fullback Adam Prentice was the only other New Orleans back to record any carries with two. Johnson should continue to see the bulk of the limited carries at running back behind Kamara in Week 17 versus Philadelphia.

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• Saints' David Johnson: Coughs up fumble in win

  12/19/2022 • By RotoWire

  Johnson tallied four carries for 12 yards and lost a fumble during Sunday's 21-18 win over the Falcons. Johnson got off to a solid start in his first outing as the Saints' new No. 2 running back, logging four carries through the midpoint of the second quarter, but he committed the team's lone turnover when he fumbled in the red zone before halftime. While Johnson did not see a carry for the remainder of the contest, he was still the only running back to log any offensive snaps (18) other than starter Alvin Kamara (34), as Eno Benjamin (coach's decision) and Dwayne Washington (illness) were both inactive. Johnson's usage prior to the turnover is an encouraging sign, but it's possible the mistake could cost him snaps when Benjamin and/or Washington are active.

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• Saints' David Johnson: Serving as No. 2 back Sunday

  12/18/2022 • By RotoWire

  Johnson is slated to serve as the top backup to starting running back Alvin Kamara in Sunday's game against the Falcons, John Hendrix of SI.com reports. With Eno Benjamin (coach's decision) and Dwayne Washington (illness) inactive for the contest and with Mark Ingram (knee) on injured reserve, the Saints won't have any true running backs available this week beyond Kamara and Johnson. Even though Johnson is seemingly well positioned to fill Ingram's change-of-pace role behind Kamara, that doesn't necessarily mean that Johnson will enter the backfield whenever Kamara leaves the field. The Saints will have a fullback (Adam Prentice) active for the game that they can turn to in pass protection, and jack-of-all-trades tight end/quarterback Taysom Hill is also likely to get a few carries behind Kamara.

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