Fitzgerald says David Johnson can get 1,000 receiving and rushing yards
Jul 27, 2017, 10:54 AM | Updated: 7:48 pm
David Johnson had 2,118 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns last year, but there is one personal goal he has on his mind for 2017.
“To have 1,000 receiving and 1,000 rushing [yards],” Johnson told CBS Sports’ Tiki and Tierney. “Just because two guys have done it and also because I was so close last year. Unfortunately with the injury, I wasn’t able to do it, I felt like I would have had a chance to do it, I was feeling good that game, I was having a good game until the injury, but I know for a fact that’s one of my main goals.”
That injury came in a Week 17 win against the Rams, leaving Johnson 121 receiving yards away from reaching the mark and also ended his streak of netting 100 plus all-purpose yards every game.
One person who thinks Johnson can become the third person to join the 1,000/1,000 club is his teammate Larry Fitzgerald.
“I don’t think it’s going to be that difficult,” Fitzgerald said in an Arizona Sports Facebook interview with Mike Jurecki. “When you have that kind of skill set, what he has, I don’t think it’s all that difficult — he just needs the opportunities — I mean the guy, he’s special.”
What makes him so special is his size and versatility, two things that usually don’t go together, but even with his running back label, Fitz thinks he can do everything a wide receiver could do.
“He can run, he can catch it, very, very intelligent in terms of blitz protection, Fitzgerald said. “He does a very good job of never taking any devastating hits. He’s a big guy, but he’s extremely elusive and powerful, one of the strongest stiff arms in the game and he can run all of the routes.
“He can go outside the numbers and run routes, he can come inside the numbers and run routes, he’s really good in the screen game, his feel, I mean he’s not deficient in anything.”
Bruce Arians has been vocal about wanting to get Johnson 30 touches per game and that number doesn’t seem too high considering his touches from a year ago.
Taking out Week 17, the former third-round pick had just over 24 touches per game last season.
“I mean he should be getting 25, 30 touches a game and if he’s doing that, we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Fitzgerald said.
