David Johnson Wants to Retire With Cardinals

The All-Pro running back wants to have one last go with the Arizona Cardinals.

Oct 24, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Houston Texans running back David Johnson (31) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- Former Arizona Cardinals star David Johnson wants one last run with his former team before he hangs it up.

"I would love to go back to Arizona. I got a lot of fans there. Whenever we come back and visit, you see a couple 31 jerseys of mine. Just get back to the environment where I did have success - it'd be cool to at least finish my career there and retire as a Cardinal. That'd be something I would love to do," said Johnson to Kay Adams on "Up and Adams".

"That's my goal - to retire and finish my career where it started."

Full clip:

Attention @AZCardinals@DavidJohnson31: “That’s my goal, to finish my career where it started, as a Cardinal” #birdgang @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/JEKb04FSK6

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 6, 2024

Johnson recently announced his retirement back in May, so perhaps he's leaving the door open to be an extra back behind James Conner, Trey Benson and Michael Carter. Johnson could also simply sign a one-day deal with the organization.

Johnson earned first-team All Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2016, when he rushed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns to pair with 879 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Johnson also matched NFL legend Barry Sanders' streak of 15 straight games with 100+ yards from scrimmage, the longest single-season streak in league history.

Simply put, Johnson was electric during his first few seasons in Arizona before he was traded to the Houston Texans in the infamous deal that netted the Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins.

Johnson did not play this past season.

Ultimately, the new regime of GM Monti Ossenfort and HC Jonathan Gannon have no ties to Johnson as a player, though fans and even the player himself would love to see Johnson retire in the desert.