Should the Cardinals bring back RB David Johnson?

After two seasons with the Houston Texans, running back David Johnson is now a free agent. Should the Arizona Cardinals consider bringing him back?

Two years ago, the Arizona Cardinals made the decision to include longtime running back David Johnson in a trade with the Houston Texans that sent DeAndre Hopkins to the desert.

Since then, Johnson has spent two miserable seasons with the Texans, including the 2021 campaign when he appeared in 13 games, but he was a starter in only four of them.

Currently, the former Cardinals running back is a free agent, and he is in need of a team to play for. With only 228 rushing yards last season, it’s hard to imagine Johnson costing a lot, so should Arizona consider bringing him back for the 2022 campaign?

Could David Johnson help the Arizona Cardinals in 2022?

Currently, the Cardinals have six running backs under contract for the 2022 season. The group is headlined by James Conner, but after him, it’s hard to determine who will take over the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.

That No. 2 spot will likely be given to either Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward, or rookie Keaontay Ingram. Neither of these three has a ton of actual on-field NFL experience, so might Arizona be interested in adding a veteran back like Johnson to their roster before training camp this summer?

Johnson has never been able to recapture that magical form that saw him put together an All-Pro season in 2016, but he could still have value for the Cardinals next season.

With Houston in 2020, Johnson only rushed for 691 yards, but he also averaged 4.7 yards per carry, caught 33 passes, and scored eight touchdowns. As a No. 2 running back, those numbers would be great.

Since he was on Arizona’s roster during the 2019 season, he should already be familiar with the offense that the team currently runs under head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

The Cardinals were obviously willing to part ways with Johnson back in 2020, so they might not be interested in ever bringing him back. But if Arizona is open to a reunion with their former third-round pick, then it’s something they should definitely consider before the start of the 2022 season.