Eagles RB Kerryon Johnson takes pay cut after claim off waivers

Kerryon Johnson has a new contract. After the Eagles claimed him off of waivers, the former Lions running back agreed to a pay cut (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports).

Johnson was set to earn about $1.4M in the final year of his rookie contract. Now, with the restructure, he’ll make the veteran’s minimum of $920K. Meanwhile, the Eagles have an extra $446K to work with this year. His deal includes $0 in guaranteed cash, so there’s no risk involved for the Birds.

Johnson showed some promise as a rookie, averaging 5.4 yards per tote in 2018 and scoring four touchdowns in 10 games. However, knee injuries sidetracked him from that point forward. In 2019, he hit the IR twice. Johnson didn’t miss time last year, but he lost ground to D’Andre Swift and Adrian Peterson.

Now, Johnson will be tasked with finding a spot in a crowded RB room. That means practicing/competing with the likes of Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Jordan Howard and Kenny Gainwell. The Eagles should be fairly set in the backfield, especially with the former second-round pick in the fold. They’ve also got a little bit of cash to upgrade elsewhere — about $8.3M, per the NFLPA’s records.