Cardinals' Johnson 'obviously not' happy with reduced role

David Johnson has discussed his diminished role, which he's "obviously not" happy about, with the Arizona Cardinals' coaching staff.

"Any NFL player, any competitor, if you're not on the field, you're obviously going to be upset about it," he told Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com.

Johnson hasn't been featured in the backfield since the Cardinals acquired Kenyan Drake before the trade deadline. The 27-year-old took only three carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14 and hasn't received more than five hand-offs in any of his last four games.

Johnson signed a three-year, $39-million contract in September 2018 but has yet to live up to the contract. The Cardinals have struggled to fit him into Kliff Kingsbury's spread offense, even though Johnson was once revered as one of the best pass-catching running backs in the NFL.

His increased time on the bench has prompted speculation that Arizona may release him in the offseason. The Cardinals would absorb a sizable cap hit if they cut him.

"I'm really just trying to finish this season off week by week," Johnson said when asked about his future in the desert. "I'm really just trying to, like I've been saying, get back on that playing field."

The Northern Iowa product is averaging 3.8 yards per carry in 2019. He hasn't averaged four yards or more since his breakout campaign in 2016 when he rushed for over 1,200 yards and posted over 800 yards receiving.

"I have a chip on my shoulder," he said. "Everyone's been knocking me down. I'm going to do everything I can to prove I've still got it."

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