The Detroit Lions placed Kerryon Johnson on injured reserve after he underwent knee surgery. They are planning to use a ‘running back by committee' approach for the remainder of the season, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.
Matt Patricia, when asked about Kerryon Johnson's long-term durability after second straight year with knee injury, said they are in the moment.
Detroit also said they are preparing to go "running back by committee."
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) October 22, 2019
For a second consecutive season, Johnson has missed a large portion of games due to a need for knee surgery. Last season, he played in the first 10 games of his rookie season before being placed on injured reserve due to a need for knee surgery. It is believed that he suffered his latest injury during the Lions' 42-30 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8.
The Lions are projected to rely on J.D. McKissic and Ty Johnson while their regular starting running back is sidelined. Neither player has received much involvement in the team's offense this season. McKissic currently has 109 rushing yards on 15 carries while Johnson has 83 rushing yards on six carries.
This season has been underwhelming for Johnson from a production standpoint. He has totaled 308 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on an average 3.3 rushing yards per carry. The heavy workload that he has shouldered is something that the Lions may want to change next season to help him stay healthy.
There is still a possibility that Johnson could return before the end of the season. However, he will miss at least eight games and that would mean the earliest he could return would be in Week 16 against the Denver Broncos.
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