Safety John Johnson is back with the Rams and he said on Tuesday that there were moments over the last two years that he wondered if he ever should have left.
Johnson signed a three-year deal with the Browns ahead of the 2021 season, so he missed that year’s Super Bowl run in Los Angeles while playing on a losing team in Cleveland. The Browns had another losing year in 2022 and released Johnson as they try to push things back in a better direction.
The Rams brought Johnson back this week as they try for their own rebound after things went off the rails in 2022 and it seems like a good match of team and player given their shared desire for a turnaround.
“I didn’t meet my expectations. Obviously, I didn’t meet the other organization’s expectations,” Johnson said, via Adam Grosbard of the Orange County Register. “So it puts a chip on my shoulder. You want to go out there and show you can still go. I’m young. I feel like I’m in my prime. I just need a place and an opportunity to do it.”
Johnson’s rookie season with the Rams was 2017 and that was also head coach Sean McVay’s first year with the team. On Tuesday, Johnson said he sees a similar desire to refresh and regroup with the franchise that he did as a rookie and he’ll have a hand in helping that happen if all goes well this season.