When John Johnson III signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in 2021, he landed a three-year deal worth $33.75 million. He only played out two years of that contract, getting released by Cleveland this offseason.
The contract he signed with the Rams this week is for significantly less than what he earned the last two years in Cleveland. According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Johnson’s deal with the Rams is for one year at the veteran minimum of $1.08 million.
That’s an absolute bargain for Los Angeles, and it’s honestly surprising Johnson wasn’t able to get more from another team. Getting a 27-year-old safety who’s started 80 games in his career at the league minimum is a steal, especially for a Rams team that’s been pinching pennies this offseason to keep things under control cap-wise.
Johnson expressed his excitement about being back with the Rams this week, saying a return to Los Angeles has always been a thought since he left two years ago. The Rams are equally thrilled to have him back, with Sean McVay calling him a “foundational piece” to what they built when they both arrived in 2017 and mentioning that he’s still a “really good player.”
Johnson did sit on the free-agent market for a while – more than four months, to give you an idea – but the fact that he only got the league minimum is surprising. This should go down as the Rams’ best move of the offseason.
