Former NFL running back Chris Johnson announced his retirement on Monday. He last played during the 2017 season.
“After a great deal of thought and consideration, I have decided to close this chapter of my life and look forward to the new possibilities that have been afforded to me,” he wrote in a statement issued by his management company.
Tennessee selected Johnson in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of East Carolina. He spent his first six seasons in the league with the Titans, highlighted by a stellar 2009 season: 2,006 rushing yards and 2,509 yards from scrimmage. He led the league in both categories and was named first-team All-Pro that season.
The Titans cut Johnson before the 2014 season and he spent that year with the New York Jets, followed by three partial seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
For his career, Johnson appeared in 130 games and rushed for 9,651 yards (4.5 yards per carry). He had 2,255 receiving yards and 64 career touchdowns combined. He had six straight 1,000-yard seasons, all with the Titans.
Johnson, who turned 33 in September, ranks 35th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. He is one of only seven players to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.