Chris Johnson 'doing well,' should make full recovery

Running back Chris Johnson's time with the Jets is limited; at least he won't be spending it in the hospital.

The 29-year-old was released from the hospital Sunday, according to his agent, following a drive-by shooting that left him with a gunshot wound to his shoulder.

"He is expected to make a quick and full recovery and is looking forward to being back out on the field training as soon as possible," EAG Sports Management posted on its Twitter page Monday.

Per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the tailback did not aid police in their investigation, saying only that he saw a "car roll by and they shot." 

His silence likely won't help his future contract negotiations. The shooting was his second off-the-field issue since the January, and Johnson is currently set to become a free agent Tuesday.

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Jets exercise options on Pace, Babin, but not Johnson

The New York Jets have exercised options on linebackers Calvin Pace and Jason Babin, as announced by the team Saturday. Additionally, Gang Green will not exercise its option on running back Chris Johnson, who can hit free agency March 10.

Pace started 16 games in 2014, tallying five sacks, four tackles for a loss and three passes defensed. Babin, signed last July as a free agent, played in all 16 games with two sacks and two tackles for loss.

Johnson, signed as a free agent last April, accumulated 663 yards on 155 carries and a touchdown, with 151 more yards on 24 receptions and a receiving TD.

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Jets' Chris Johnson arrested in Florida on gun charge

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Running back Chris Johnson was a question mark on the New York Jets' roster following an underwhelming first of two contract seasons with the team.

Now, he's likely a sure goner.

Per multiple media reports, Johnson was arrested Friday in Orlando, Fla. on a gun charge. Johnson reportedly has a license to carry, but the arrest was for open carry.

Chris Ivory in line for bigger share of Jets' carries

BY NICK ST. DENIS

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday that "hopefully it's a matter of time" before tailback Chris Johnson gets going.

But for now, Ryan already has a running back who is going.

The quicker-than-advertised power back Chris Ivory has been an absolute battering ram this season and is clearly the better hand in the Jets' one-two punch. Ivory tallied 44 yards on 10 carries and hauled in four catches for 52 yards in Gang Green's loss to the Chicago Bears Monday night.

Jets give peek at a double-Chris offensive backfield

BY NICK ST. DENIS

If all goes as planned, the New York Jets will boast a versatile one-two punch in the running game in 2014 with Chris Johnson handling the speed and Chris Ivory the power.

It was assumed that would be the deal on a play-by-play basis. Saturday, Gang Green put a little twist into that thinking.

During the team's annual Green and White Scrimmage, Johnson and Ivory took the field a few times--at the same time, according to ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Ivory likely to get the keys close to the end zone

BY NICK ST. DENIS

New York Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn said Monday that short-yardage backs don't necessarily have to be of the power variety, because “some guys have that unique ability to get skinny in a hole, find a soft spot."

That may be true, but at the moment, the power guy is the leading candidate to take the bulk of Gang Green's goal line attempts this coming season.

“If we were playing tomorrow, Chris Ivory would be on the goal line, obviously,” Lynn said, via the NY Daily News. “Sometimes in those situations you have an extra defender that you can’t block, and you need a back that can take him on.”

Jets excited about using Chris Johnson in the flat

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

It’s no secret that Chris Johnson is a spectacular runner – more than 1,300 yards of rushing offense per year (with a 2,000-plus season, to boot) on average can tell you that.

But CJ2K in the flat, one-on-one with a linebacker? That’s a very different, but equally scary monster to face for any defense.

That’s what the New York Jets were working on in practice Thursday, moving the elusive back around the formation by lining him up on the outside as a receiver and through the use of motion in the backfield.

Curtis Martin says CJ2K is still one of best in NFL

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Former New York Jets running back Curtis Martin is one of the greatest of all time.

The Hall-of-Famer thinks Gang Green's newest running back, ex-Tennessee Titans speedster Chris Johnson, is one of the greatest of his time.

"With things even across the board -- the blocking is the same, quarterback is the same -- I still think he's one of the best running backs in the league," Martin said recently, via ESPN New York. "I'll say this: He has as much talent as anyone in the league."

Lynn likes how Johnson rounds out Jets' backfield

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The New York Jets don't plan on making veteran running back Chris Johnson the team's workhorse. They do, however, see him as an integral part of what appears to be a pretty stout stable of tailbacks.

In addition to Chris Ivory's bruising style and Bilal Powell's well-roundedness, Gang Green now has the outside breakaway threat it has been looking for in the speedster Johnson, whom they signed this offseason.

"I really like the versatility; [it] really gives you the opportunity to do more things to attack the defense," Jets running backs coach Anthony Lynn said last week, via NJ.com. "So with Chris's skill-set, combined with Chris Ivory's power-running game, and Bilal Powell's more of a combination of both, it's a really good quality to have in the room."

Ivory says Jets' tailbacks 'all bring something different'

BY NICK ST. DENIS

The New York Jets had the bruiser in Chris Ivory and the all-purpose back in Bilal Powell.

In adding the speedster Chris Johnson, Gang Green has a well-rounded tandem in the backfield--something the team's leading rusher from a season ago looks forward to working in.

“We all bring something different, so as far as complements, it just depends on the team and the scheme that they have for the guys," Ivory said earlier this week, via Newsday.

Mornhinweg set on giving Johnson his space

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Chris Johnson signed with the New York Jets two weeks ago under the impression that offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and his West Coast style system would allow Johnson plenty of opportunities in the open field.

"We talked about all those things, catching out of the backfield, getting the ball to me in space," the veteran tailback said of his conversation with Mornhinweg prior to signing with Gang Green.

A couple weeks later, Mornhinweg echoed a familiar sentiment -- give Johnson room to run.

Rex hasn't made any promises to new tailback Johnson

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Chris Johnson is guaranteed an opportunity. The carries, he'll have to earn.

"Nothing was ever promised, you know, that you’re going to get X amount of carries and all that kind of stuff," New York Jets coach Rex Ryan said Monday of his team's latest acquisition, via the NY Post.

". . . We’re going to have to compete for roles. No role has definitely been determined for really almost anybody on this football team."

Chris Johnson likes how he fits with Jets, Mornhinweg

BY NICK ST. DENIS

When the New York Jets acquired Marty Morhinweg to lead their offense last year, they didn't have much need for running back Shonn Greene's services. So that offseason, Greene signed on with the Tennessee Titans to give the elusive Chris Johnson some support.

This offseason, the Titans decided they didn't have much use for Johnson anymore. And less than two weeks after Johnson hit the open market, the Jets completed the swap.

Gang Green signed the veteran tailback Wednesday after meeting with him the evening before, an unsurprising move given increasing reports over the past week connecting the two.

CJ2K: There could be controversy with Greene

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Shonn Greene spent most of his tenure with the New York Jets in a somewhat by-committee backfield with no drama.

Things might get a little dramatic in Tennessee. (photo: AJ Guel, Flickr)

Greene signed on with the Titans last week to work alongside Chris Johnson. Wednesday, Johnson expressed some (or a lot) of disdain regarding Greene's place on the team's running back depth chart.

Shonn Greene to join Chris Johnson in Tennessee

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Shonn Greene was a guaranteed goner the second the New York Jets' 2012 season came to a close.

Greene, however, landed on his feet rather quickly. (photo: Marianne O'Leary, Flickr)

The fifth-year tailback, coming off a season in which he averaged a career-low 3.9 yards a carry and a career high four fumbles, signed with the Tennessee Titans Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Gailey on Titans tailback Johnson: 'He scares you'

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

The Buffalo Bills' last-ranked run defense took a step in the right direction last week against a banged-up Arizona Cardinals rushing attack. It'll need more than one of those forward steps to dig itself out of the cellar, however, a task made just a bit more ominous with Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson coming into town.

“He scares you,” Bills' coach Chan Gailey told reporters Wednesday. “Every time he touches the ball he scares you. You can still see that electric speed and electric quickness that he has. Yes, he has not had as many yards and the statistics are down, but I am telling you defensive coaches hold their breath every time he touches it.”

The Pro Bowl back has seen his carries and yardage decline ever since his ridiculous 2,000-yard season in 2009, and he has barely tallied 300 yards in the Titans' first six games. With an average of only 15 carries a game this year, Johnson has failed to punch one in for six and hasn't even had a 20-yard run.

If he was going to have a breakout game, however, now is the time. The Bills' porous run defense is giving up 5.8 yards a carry and has allowed nine rushing touchdowns in six games.

Patriots wary of Johnson's impact in Titans' offense

BY NICK ST. DENIS

In his first regular-season conference call as the New England Patriots' defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia said he didn't want to single out anyone as the focal point of the Tennessee Titans' offense.

Patricia's head coach, however, seemed a little more willing to do so as he looks ahead at the teams' Week 1 AFC battle.

"...everybody is at the point of attack and all 11 guys have to be ready to defend (running back Chris Johnson) when he's got the ball because he's capable of getting anywhere," Bill Belichick told the media Tuesday. "Even if we're there, we still have to tackle him. Not only is he a fast back, but he's elusive and shifty with good vision; big-time home run threat every time he touches the ball."

Johnson, the Titans' most dangerous player the past four years, totaled 34 rushing touchdowns and four more scores through the air over his first three seasons but found the end zone just four times in 2011, though he did record his fourth straight 1,000-yard-plus season on the ground.

Report: Former Raiders CB Johnson to visit Jets

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Rex Ryan is fan of cornerbacks, and the Jets have one stopping by Monday.

Free agent cornerback Chris Johnson, formerly of the Raiders, is scheduled to visit with the Jets, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Johnson, 32, saw time in just four games last season due to a hamstring injury and a family tragedy.

The eighth-year defensive back recorded eight interceptions from 2008-10 when he started 26 games. He has 49 career passes defensed and three forced fumbles.

Johnson didn't play a game his first two years in the league (2003-04) on the Packers' roster. Johnson played in 13 games with the Rams in 2005, starting in just one, before spending 2006 off the field and signing with the Raiders in 2007.