Titans running back Chris Johnson underwent January surgery to fix a torn meniscus, the first surgery of his career. He told the Tennessean he's doing rehab in the pool to strengthen the muscles around his left knee because he's not yet cleared to run.
However, he said he'd already be running if he'd had the procedure during the season.
“I have never been a guy to sit out when something was hurt," Johnson told paper about his Week 3 injury against the Chargers. "The only way I would sit out is if there was no way possible I could play. If I can work through it, I want to play. I want to be out there to help my team win, and that’s the way it’s always been.
"I am not going to make excuses, but you can talk to anybody who’s had a torn meniscus and they know how it affects you. I’m not going to sit here and tell you if I wouldn’t have had a torn meniscus I would have had 1,600-1,700 rushing yards last year, but my teammates know what I was going through.”
As he waits for the Titans to decide if they'll release him, Johnson called his 2013 season an aberration. He averaged a career-low 3.9 yards per carry.
“I have a whole lot left. I have only played six years in this league. And that is what my focus is on,” he told the paper. “My focus is not on whether the Titans are going to let me go and if they’re going to do this or that, my focus is on getting back healthy so I can start working out. And wherever I am this year I’ll be ready to play and ready to help a team win.”