Rams' Johnson Reveals Reason for Return

The Los Angeles Rams welcomed an old friend back home on Aug. 7 by signing safety John Johnson to a one-year deal.

Johnson spent the first four years of his career in Los Angeles before signing a free-agency deal with the Cleveland Browns in 2021. However, the Browns released him to save on cap space, despite Johnson finishing with the second-most tackles on the team (101). After nearly five months on the market, Johnson returned to his old stomping grounds.

Johnson revealed why he joined the Rams once again.

"I just had to get back to basics," Johnson said during Saturday night's preseason game against the Denver Broncos. "That's where all my resources (came from), that's where I feel comfortable, I feel like the coaches feel comfortable with me, so it was like a perfect fit."

The Rams team that Johnson played for a couple of years ago is much different than today's. Los Angeles isn't expected to be anywhere near Super Bowl contenders, like in 2021, but Johnson believes they are "competing."

"A lot of people want to say we're 'young,' but we're not playing like it," Johnson said. "We're having fun out there and getting better every day. We don't want to peak at the right time, we just want to constantly get one percent better each and every day and that's what we're doing. I think the score (41-0 against the Broncos) doesn't really show the work that we put in."

The goal for the Rams this season, like every other team, is to win the Super Bowl, but coach Sean McVay and the coordinators have stressed the need for players to step up as leaders as well.

Johnson took on that responsibility when he and McVay joined the Rams organization at the same time in 2017 and he hopes to do so again this season.

"I just want to be the same person every day, establish that culture that we started back in 2017, and...do the right things on and off the field," Johnson said. "When we get time to ourselves, I can take the younger guys under my wing and just be John Johnson."