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Former Lions back blames Matt Patricia for career-ending injuries

Kerryon Johnson Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Former Lions running back blames Matt Patricia for career-ending injuries

By Colum Dell | Last updated 3/17/23

New England senior football advisor Matt Patricia has come under fire from several former players in relation to his disastrous tenure as Detroit Lions head coach. Now, an ex-Lions running back is blaming Patricia for his short-lived pro career.

Kerryon Johnson, a second-round pick by Detroit in the 2018 NFL Draft, played 35 games in the NFL before injuries derailed his career. Recently, the former Auburn Tiger was asked by a fan on Twitter if he would entertain the idea of signing with a team this season.

"As a coach? Sure," Johnson joked, adding a laughing emoji. A second fan asked why Johnson did not resume his career after last playing in 2021.

Johnson responded to that one, too, suggesting that playing under Patricia was a major contributing factor. Wrote the former Auburn standout, "Because playing for a military general left me down 2 knees and a neck."

Because playing for a military general left me down 2 knees and a neck https://t.co/FKNk6PweMp
— Kerryon Johnson (@AyeyoKEJO) March 14, 2023

As Patricia's workhorse during the 2019-20 season, Johnson averaged the 19th-most rushing attempts per game. After undergoing knee surgery in October, he returned to the field in December and took double-digit carries in his final two games. While he did play in 16 games during the 2020 campaign, Johnson only had 52 carries for 181 yards in that space.

Detroit subsequently cut Johnson ahead of the 2021 season, which allowed him to link up with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles waived him with an injury designation shortly claiming him off waivers, though. He would go on to play in one game for San Francisco that season, logging nine snaps on special teams. Johnson has not taken another snap since that season.

Former Lions players have widely criticized Patricia's treatment of his players. In an interview conducted during Super Bowl week, Philadelphia CB Darius Slay recalled an incident in which Patricia insulted him by stating that he wasn't in the elite tier of cornerbacks.

Earlier this month, the Eagles were reportedly interested in hiring Patricia for their recently filled linebackers coach position, though that move to not come to fruition. Slay, Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs and Lions safety Tracy Walker III (in addition to Johnson) have all commented on the messy situation in Detroit under Patricia.

Playing the sport's most expendable position and with the average NFL career lasting just 3.3 seasons, Johnson's chances of a long pro career were always slim. Patricia, it would seem, did him few favors, though.

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