David Johnson Healthy, Anxious To Return

Thursday morning David Johnson entered the Arizona Cardinals’ media room flashing his usual warm, inviting smile. But time he wasn’t wearing a cast or any sort of protective gear on his wrist following an injury which cost him nearly the entire 2017 season.

He’s fully healthy now and itching to get back on the field for OTA’s. 

“I’ve been benching, I’ve been doing push ups,” Johnson said to the assembled media in Tempe. “I’m very motivated.”

“I feel I’ll actually be better, because being hurt last year, I feel like I got smarter last year watching.” – @DavidJohnson31https://t.co/d3otnSI46z

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 6, 2018

The injury occurred in Week 1 in Detroit when DJ’s wrist was pinned under a Lions’ helmet. It turned out to be a prelude to an injury-riddled season for the Bird Gang who failed to make the playoffs for the second-consecutive year. 

While the injury was a difficult mental hurdle to overcome, Johnson was happy he got to spend extra time with his infant son, as well as view the game from a much different perspective with quarterback Carson Palmer, who also missed the last two months of the season due to injury.

“You think that you know football but until I sat down and talked to Carson and he was picking my brain,” Johnson explained. “I think that’s where I learned a lot and really focused in on different techniques that defenses do.”

“I got cleared ? percent. I’m good to go.” @DavidJohnson31 says he’s fully healthy for OTA’s. #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/mBUHYhqA3K

— Sports360AZ (@Sports360AZ) April 5, 2018

He said it was most insightful studying the different schemes from the NFC West teams who the Cardinals play twice a year. More specifically, how they disguise blitz packages and coverages.

Johnson, who donned the cover of Sports Illustrated last August, rushed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns and caught 80 balls for 879 yards and four scores during his Pro Bowl 2016 season.