Former All-Pro RB Chris Johnson earns high honor from Titans

Chris Johnson. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Former All-Pro RB Chris Johnson earns high honor from Titans

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Jul 17, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans announced Friday that they will honor former NFL running back Chris Johnson by inducting him into the team's Ring of Honor when they open the 2026 regular season on Sept. 13 against the New York Jets.

The announcement comes just over two weeks after Johnson revealed his ALS diagnosis at 40.

Chris Johnson is incredibly deserving of the honor by the Titans

Johnson is receiving the high form of recognition due to his standing as a Titans all-time great.

Tennessee's first-round pick in 2008, Johnson put together a Titans tenure that saw him set the NFL world by storm right away and make league history. Johnson's best season came in his second year when he set a new record for the most yards from scrimmage with 2,509.

Chris Johnson's 2009 season is one of the NFL's best ever by a running back

He surpassed the 2,000-yard milestone just on the ground, racking up 2,006 for an average of 5.9 yards per rush attempt. To round out his production, Johnson caught 50 passes for 503 yards and scored a total of 16 touchdowns.

Speed, records, memories. CJ2K will forever be in our Ring of Honor pic.twitter.com/C4PatZlvK2
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 17, 2026

In six seasons with the Titans, Johnson ran for 7,965 yards added 2,003 more as a receiver. He averaged 4.6 yards per touch and found the end zone 58 times.

He would then finishing his career by spending one year with the Jets in 2014 and three with the Arizona Cardinals from 2015-17.

Chris Johnson retired with numbers that can argue for the HOF

After 130 games across 10 seasons, Johnson concluded his career with 9,651 rushing yards — just outside the top 25 on the all-time list — and 2,255 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns. Johnson was a three-time Pro Bowler, a first team All-Pro once and was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year for his monster 2009 season.

Johnson has a case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, especially after the recent induction of another running back with lesser numbers, granted from a prior era, but regardless if he's ever enshrined in Canton, his legacy will live forever in Tennessee and at Nissan Stadium.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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