Reduced role tough for Cardinals RB David Johnson

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson is having to deal with a new and reduced role on offense. Kenyan Drake passed him on the depth chart and he didn’t get a single rushing attempt or pass thrown his way in the nine snaps he played in Week 11 against the San Francisco 49ers.

It is the latest adversity he faces in his NFL career.

“If you’re any football player, they all want to be on the field as much as possible,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “It’s rough, but it’s football. There’s always adversity. It’s really just how you handle it.”

He had to deal with not being highly recruited out of high school. He was a third-round pick and had to work his way into the playing rotation as a rookie. He has had to bounce back from injuries.

Not playing as much as he is used to has not been easy for him.

“It’s obviously been hard,” he said. “Back in the past, I was in the majority of the snaps. It’s rough, I’ve just got to move past it and make the most of every opportunity and have positive yards and have positive plays.”

He has not been told what his role is exactly now.

“They haven’t told me anything,” he said. “Whenever I get in the game, just be ready.”

He indicated he has spoken to his coaches about things but would keep the substance of the conversations between him and them.

Johnson’s future with the team seems a little in doubt at this point. He is set to make more than $10 million next season and will have a salary cap hit of more than $14 million.

Hopefully he can get right before the end of the season because it wouldn’t make sense to have a $10 million backup on the roster. It also doesn’t make sense to cut him when it would cost more salary cap space to get rid of him than to keep him.

With five games remaining in the season, he has to prove himself once again.