Chance of Injury in 2021: ![]() |
84% |
Chance of Injury per Game: ![]() |
10.8% |
Projected Games missed for 2021: ![]() |
3.5 |
Durability: ![]() |
4 |
Looking to recapture his 2016 form, Johnson instead lost his job.
Ankle and back injuries forced 3 absences from the former Round 3 pick. With a new HC (Kliff Kingsbury) calling the shots, D.J. never found his footing following a strong Week 1: 18 carries, 82 yards, 6 catches, 55 yards and 1 score.
Johnson handled only 76 carries across his final 11 appearances and watched as the front office dealt for Kenyan Drake in late October. The former Dolphin went on to rush for over 100 yards 3 times.
Overall, Johnson’s rushing efficiency remained lackluster (3.7 yards per carry). Yet he still showed difference-making ability as a pass catcher. He registered games of 11, 9, 8 and 7 targets, helping him snag 36 balls at 10.3 yards per. His efforts earned him the 9th highest PFF receiving grade among 32 RBs with 40+ targets.
D.J. will team up with Duke Johnson to form a 1-2 bunch. HC Bill O’Brien called his newest back a “3-down” player in April. OC Tim Kelly had a different thought in May.
"When you have guys that are versatile and are both a vital running threat and a good receiving threat, it allows you to open up and be creative and find different ways to get guys the ball in space and do some good things," Kelly said via Houston’s official site. "So, yeah, we're excited to have both of those guys back there.”
What’s most likely here? David sees the bulk of the early-down work, while Duke mixes in as the change-of-pace. After all, Houston traded DeAndre Hopkins and…
Date | League | Injury | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Oct 20, 2019 | NFL | Pedal Ankle Sprain/Pull Unspecified Grade 1 | Tweaked a previously existing ankle injury and never came back into the game against the New York Giants on his first carry of the game |
Sep 10, 2017 | NFL | Hand Wrist Dislocation | Johnson missed the remainder of the season after going down in Week 1. He underwent surgery and didn't claim to be fully healthy until mid-January. |
Jan 1, 2017 | NFL | Knee MCL Sprain Grade 2 | Johnson ended his season early in Week 17 with a sprained MCL. He avoided surgery. |
Nov 27, 2016 | NFL | Hand Finger Dislocation | Johnson dislocated a finger in Week 12. The injury did not cost him any games. |
Aug 3, 2015 | NFL | Thigh Hamstring Sprain/Pull Unspecified Grade 1 | Johnson didn't practice in full until August 18. He was buried on the depth chart come Week 1 of the regular season. |