If the season started today, David Johnson would be more than just "good to go." So says David Johnson.
The star dual-threat Cardinals running back saw his dominant 2016 season end in scary fashion when he suffered a sprained MCL in Week 17, leaving D.J. just one game away from reaching at least 100 scrimmage yards in all 16 contests.
But Johnson said his recovery is on schedule and has him ready to play today.
"My wheel is good," Johnson told the team's website while attending the Kurt Warner Ultimate Football Experience on Saturday. "Good to go already. Back training, full throttle. Doing everything."
Any and all positive updates on Johnson's health this offseason should be celebrated in the desert. The Cardinals offense, one year removed from its high-octane downfield identity, shifted its focus in '16 and instead depended on Johnson's backfield production. The back not only paced Arizona to its underwhelming 7-8-1 record, he led the league in yards from scrimmage (2,118 yards).
Safe to say, if he were to have a setback ahead of training camp, Arizona's plans for 2017 would change dramatically.
As Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald age and waffle between return and retirement year after year, the Cardinals know they have a sure thing in Johnson, as long as he gets and stays healthy. For now, Johnson appears ready to return to form, and that's all the Cardinals can ask for.
