John Johnson III returned to the Rams last offseason as a late free-agent signing, arriving in Los Angeles in August. After a successful reunion with the team that drafted him in 2017, the two sides decided to get together again for 2024.
Johnson is back with the Rams on a one-year deal, getting a slight raise over what he made last season, which was the veteran minimum. According to Howard Balzer, Johnson’s new contract is for one year and has a value of $1.38 million with only $750,000 guaranteed.
Johnson’s deal last year was worth $1.08 million, so it’s a $300,000 pay increase for the veteran safety – still a bargain for a starting-caliber safety and someone who knows the Rams’ system very well.
The 1-year contract signed by Rams S John Johnson III is worth $1,377,500 and has $750,000 guaranteed that includes a $135,000 signing bonus.
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) July 11, 2024
It took Johnson a little while to get up to speed last season, particularly after arriving so late in the summer. He didn’t play more than four defensive snaps in a game until Week 9 when he played 16 snaps and then after that, he was essentially a full-time starter next to Jordan Fuller.
His role this season is still unclear with Kamren Curl, Quentin Lake, Russ Yeast and Kamren Kinchens all competing for snaps at safety, but it’s possible Johnson will get meaningful reps next to Curl.
Whether he starts or not, this is a reasonably cheap contract for Los Angeles at a position that could use some veteran depth.