Tough Deal for Chris Johnson , Fans Support him to get a new Contract

In a record end of the season, Chris-Johnson hopes to get a bigger Tennessee Titans contract, now he has been in support of the fans online. The new petition heading "Pay CJ2K (to Chris - Johnson's new contract)" has been established to support Johnson, as of Tuesday afternoon, there were 64 signatures already. We hear all the time that pro football is a business. As Johnson and the Titans are finding out, labor strife makes it more of a business than ever.Chris-Johnson's #28 jersey sell very good in Titans.
Six in a single season NFL history to reach 2,000 yards red ball players and get the Associated Press named the best offensive players 2009 NFL year, he did not participate in the Titan team all offseason training. In 2008, after the first 24 were selected and the team signed him to a five-year contract worth 12 million U.S. dollars. 2010 season, he should receive 550,000 U.S. dollars.
Johnson may be the best back in football, yet he’s scheduled to make $550,000 in 2010. (His backup, Alvin Pearman, is set to earn $630,000.) Last season, Johnson led the N.F.L. with 2,509 yards from scrimmage and, perhaps more important, 408 touches. He is only 24, but for a running back, history suggests that his career is already peaking.
The contracts of Steven Jackson and Maurice Jones-Drew have set the running back market in recent years. Jackson received $44.8 million over six years ($20.5 million guaranteed); MJD got $30.95 million for five years ($17.5 guaranteed). Johnson is better than both, but if he can only get paid via signing bonus, then in a long-term deal the Titans would have to fork over $30-40 million in one sum up front. That’s not possible. Yes, Albert Haynesworth got $41 million guaranteed in Washington, but only $5 million of it came in the form of a signing bonus; the rest was tied into salary (which, again, cannot be escalated by more than 30 percent).
So what if Johnson were to sign a short-term deal with a hefty bonus? The Rams essentially gave Jackson a three-year, $20.5 million deal (figure that with his age and wear and tear, he’ll be near the end by 2012). By this measure, Johnson would deserve three years, $27 million. That’s still too pricey.
The Titans could probably afford a two-year deal, with a $10 million signing bonus. Yes, at two years and $10 million, Johnson would be making substantially less than market value. But he’d at least hit free agency when he’s 26. Besides, Johnson’s alternative is to play for $550,000 in 2010, hope for continued health and a new collective bargaining agreement in 2011. That’s a very vulnerable position. And, unfortunately, it appears imminent.
The negative effects of this impasse could haunt the Titans this season. Overworking their best player for pennies on the dollar two years in a row would upset not only the player himself, but might also upset many of the other 52 players. Come December, can Jeff Fisher stand in front of the locker room and preach a game plan that relies on an underpaid Johnson sacrificing his body (i.e. his most valuable commodity) with 35 touches? Johnson would be holding the short end of the stick while being publicly flagellated with the long end. What would his teammates think?