A long-time Arizona Cardinals running back is hanging up his cleats. Former Pro Bowler David Johnson is retiring from the NFL, per ESPN. Johnson announced his retirement Sunday in a lengthy social media post.
“I'm looking forward to my next career path in life,” Johnson said in the post. “I don't know exactly what that will be, but I hope it will bring me the same passion, excitement and love that football did!”
Johnson had not played a snap in the NFL since the 2022 season, when he was a member of the New Orleans Saints. He spent eight years in the NFL, with the Cardinals, Saints and Houston Texans.
Johnson's NFL career
Johnson finishes his lengthy pro career with 4,001 rushing yards. He rushed for 39 touchdowns in his eight seasons, with more than 1,000 carries. He was also a kick returner, with 622 return yards in the NFL and a touchdown on that unit.
Johnson was also effective catching out of the backfield. He finishes his NFL career with 2,805 receiving yards, and 18 receiving touchdowns. His most productive season was in 2016, when he gained more than 1,200 rushing yards and nearly 900 receiving yards for Arizona.
The running back was named to the Pro Bowl in the 2016 season, after posting those impressive numbers. He was a First-Team All-Pro, which was the only time in his career he received that honor. Johnson played his college football at Northern Iowa, and was drafted by Arizona in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
“I'm going to miss the locker room, dining hall and before meeting vibes,” Johnson added. “Guys from different backgrounds, ethnicities, struggles, and countries just talking about all aspects of life.”
Life after the Cardinals
After leaving Arizona following the 2019 season, Johnson never found as much success at his other stops. He played with the Texans for two seasons. He would gain six rushing touchdowns for Houston during the 2020 season, but that would be the last year in his career he would earn a rushing touchdown. He went the last two years in the league without a rushing TD.
Johnson was used rarely for the Saints in the 2022 campaign, his final year in the league. He finished that year with just 12 carries for 24 yards. He also caught four passes for 47 yards.
Johnson's most powerful impact on the league may be in his work off the field. The former Cardinals running back started a non-profit organization in 2017, called The Johnson Family's Mission 31 Foundation. The organization's mission is to support sick children and their families. Johnson was nominated for the NFL's Man of the Year Award in 2019, because of his work. He would lose the award, but that certainly didn't change his far-reaching impact.
Cardinals fans are certainly wishing Johnson a lot of success in his post-playing career.
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