The Cleveland Browns and running back D’Ernest Johnson have agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth up to $2.4 million with more than $900,000 in guarantees, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday.
Rapoport reported in March that the Browns planned to tender Johnson, who was a restricted free agent, at the right of first refusal -- meaning he had a chance to check out other teams on the open market.
Johnson ultimately elected to return to the team that signed him in 2019 following an impressive stint in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football.
Although Johnson has spent three full seasons on the Browns’ active roster, he was often buried behind the prolific duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and did not see serious opportunity until injuries pressed him into action at different points of the 2021 season.
In the three games Johnson received at least 20 touches, he averaged 152.6 total yards and scored two touchdowns. That kind of production explains Cleveland’s desire to bring Johnson back despite already having a considerable chunk of money tied up in Chubb and Hunt.
With the Chubb-Hunt duo now officially turned into a three-headed monster once again, the Browns can rest easy with the knowledge that their backfield boasts the best depth in the league.