Starting running backs will always be glorified in the NFL.
They are regulars in the end zone, touch the ball more than anyone but the quarterback, and with the ever-increasing popularity of fantasy football, get analyzed breathlessly each week.
So it wasn’t a surprise to see a great deal of consternation after the Cardinals placed Chris Johnson – the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher – on injured reserve/designated to return with a tibial plateau fracture on Tuesday. The only way he plays again this season is if the team makes the Super Bowl.
"He was convinced it was a bruise, and it was going to be one week because he’s tough,” coach Bruce Arians said.