Marcus Johnson’s Quest for Health Takes Him to New NFL Team
Marcus Johnson has shown he can play in the NFL.
At issue is whether he can stay on the field. But another team is willing to give him a try.
The veteran wide receiver agreed to contract terms with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, according to his agency, EnterSports Management.
Johnson, 27, spent one full season with the Titans after he initially was added to the practice following the conclusion of the 2020 regular season. He appeared in just seven games and served two stints on injured reserve, the first lasted the first four weeks of the 2021 schedule and the second ended his season with six games to play.
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He led Tennessee with an average of 17.8 yards per reception and was one of just three (A.J. Brown and Julio Jones were the others) with at least one reception of 50 yards or more. He also returned nine punts for an average of 19.9 yards.
However, he caught just nine passes. The majority came in a Week 10 victory over New Orleans when he caught five passes for 100 yards.
It was a disappointing performance after he raised expectations as one of the standout performers during the offseason and early days of training camp.
It was also consistent with the rest of his NFL career, which included time spent with the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. In six seasons, he never has played more than 11 games. He played just five games for the Colts in 2018 before he finished that season on injured reserve.
He has averaged better than 16 yards per reception each of the past five years and 16.5 for his career. However, he never has caught more than 17 passes in a season.
San Francisco attempted fewer passes than all but three other NFL teams in 2021. Johnson will be an explosive option for that offense – for as long as he stays healthy, at least.
