Editing Larry Johnson (running back) (section)

===Kansas City Chiefs===
====2003–06====
Johnson was chosen in the first round with the 27th overall pick of the [[2003 NFL draft]] as insurance for the [[Kansas City Chiefs]], who were unsure if [[Priest Holmes]] would be healthy or even sign a contract extension.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2003 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2003/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-28 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Johnson was drafted over the objection of head coach [[Dick Vermeil]], who wanted to select a defensive player,<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=1887031|title=Diaper rash: Vermeil angers back|date=September 23, 2004|website=ESPN}}</ref> and despite the lack of recent NFL success by Penn State running backs ([[Blair Thomas]], [[Ki-Jana Carter]], and [[Curtis Enis]]). Vermeil criticized Johnson for his casual approach toward preparation.<ref name="auto4"/> The conflicts between Johnson and Vermeil grew, and in [[2004 NFL season|2004]] Vermeil said that Johnson needed to grow up and "take the diapers off."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/chiefs/2004-09-24-vermeil-apology_x.htm |title=Vermeil apologizes for Johnson 'diaper' remark |work=USA Today  |date=September 24, 2004 |access-date=November 28, 2008}}</ref>

Johnson took great offense to this comment, and the public estrangement led to rumors that he would be traded. However, towards the end of the 2004 season, Johnson got an opportunity to start after injuries to [[Priest Holmes]] and [[Derrick Blaylock]].

Facing the same situation in [[2005 NFL season|2005]], with Blaylock gone and Holmes having gone down with a season-ending neck injury in early November, Johnson on November 20 against the [[Houston Texans]] ran for a Chiefs' record 211 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns after the injury to Holmes.

[[file:Larry Johnson Chiefs.jpg|thumb|Johnson in a game in 2006]]
At the end of the 2005 regular season, Johnson had nine consecutive games with 100+ rushing yards, passing the 100-yard mark in every start for the Chiefs that season and earning a [[Pro Bowl]] berth.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> During the final game of the 2005 regular season, Johnson set a new franchise record of 1,750 rushing yards in one season, despite not starting in 7 games during the season. In addition Johnson caught 33 passes for 343 yards, averaging over 10 yards per reception. Johnson was named the 2005 MVP for the Chiefs. The Chiefs' record in 2005 was 10–6, but they did not make the playoffs in spite of a winning record.

With injuries limiting Holmes during the previous two seasons, Johnson began the [[2006 NFL season|2006 season]] as Kansas City's featured back. He rushed for 1,789 yards (second in the league) on 416 carries, an NFL record for most carries in a season. The Chiefs made an appearance in the [[NFL playoffs, 2006–07|playoffs]] with a 9–7 record, where Johnson ran for 32 yards on 13 carries against the [[Indianapolis Colts]]. At the conclusion of the season, Johnson was selected for his second Pro Bowl appearance.

====2007–09====
On June 21, 2007, Johnson stated that he was willing to sit out the Chiefs' training camp unless he and the Chiefs reached an agreement on a new contract. On July 22, rumors spread about Johnson being traded to the [[Green Bay Packers]]. The initial asking price was a first-, second-, and third-round [[NFL draft|draft pick]].<ref name="Johnson says training">Whitlock, Jason. [http://www.kansascity.com/sports/columnists/jason_whitlock/story/158912.html "Larry Johnson says training camp holdout is possible"] ''Kansas City Star'', D1, June 21, 2007.</ref> Starting on July 27 with the beginning of training camp, he began a holdout during which he was fined $14,000 per day by the team, and did not report to training camp until nearly a month later when he and the team agreed to a five-year contract extension that locked Johnson up with the Chiefs through the 2012 season.<ref name="Johnson ends holdout, Joins Chiefs at practice">[http://www.kansascity.com/sports/story/240697.html LJ ends holdout, joins Chiefs at practice] ''Kansas City Star'', August 21, 2007.</ref> As a result of the extension, Johnson was the highest-paid running back in the NFL based on average salary per year. His new contract covered six years and was to pay him $45 million, with $19 million in guaranteed money—the biggest contract in Chiefs history.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

In week 9 of the [[2007 NFL season|2007 regular season]], Johnson was sidelined late in the 4th quarter against the [[Green Bay Packers]] with a foot injury. The injury was season-ending; Johnson did not see any playing time in the rest of the 2007 season, and was placed on the [[injured reserve list]].<ref name="Chiefs finally shelve Larry Johnson with lingering foot injury">{{cite web|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071225/news_1s25nflnotes.html|title=Chiefs finally shelve Larry Johnson with lingering foot injury|access-date=May 3, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528070008/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20071225/news_1s25nflnotes.html|archive-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref> Johnson ended the season with 559 yards on 158 attempts, and only three rushing touchdowns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/6363 |title=Larry Johnson – Kansas City Chiefs – NFL player profile|work=yahoo.com |access-date=November 28, 2008}}</ref>

[[file:081116Saints-Chiefs02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Johnson lining up in the [[Wildcat formation]] in 2008]]
In Johnson's first regular season game since his injury, he rushed for 74 yards on 22 carries with an average of 3.4 yards per carry against the [[New England Patriots]] on September 7, 2008. The Chiefs lost the game 17–10.<ref name="FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Game Trax">{{cite web|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/gameTrax?gameId=20080907017|title=FOX Sports on MSN – NFL – Game Trax|date=September 7, 2008|access-date=September 9, 2008}}</ref> After a loss to the [[Oakland Raiders]] the following week, Johnson spoke out about his low number of carries.<ref name="Disgruntled Chiefs running back Larry Johnson speaks out yet again">{{cite web|url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hVizaMXM6u94cCNJCLl7pbmGKv1Q |title=Disgruntled Chiefs running back Larry Johnson speaks out yet again |date=September 14, 2008 |publisher=The Canadian Press |access-date=October 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918210030/http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hVizaMXM6u94cCNJCLl7pbmGKv1Q |archive-date=September 18, 2008 }}</ref> In his next two games, Johnson rushed for a combined 319 yards on 52 attempts with an average of 6.1 yards per carry.

Johnson was suspended for the Chiefs' game against the [[Tennessee Titans]] on October 18 for violating team rules.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Source: Johnson's discipline in response to pattern of behavior
|publisher=ESPN
| date = October 16, 2008
| url = https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3647097
| access-date =October 16, 2008 }}</ref> Johnson also was benched for the following game against the [[New York Jets]]. Johnson, after weeks of being inactive for the Chiefs, was suspended by league commissioner [[Roger Goodell]] for the team's week 10 game against the [[San Diego Chargers]], for violating the league's personal conduct policy, after he was charged with simple assault for allegedly spitting his drink in a woman's face (the fourth time in five years he had been accused of assaulting a woman), and as he awaited a court date for allegedly pushing another woman's face.<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3675871|title=Chiefs back Johnson suspended for Week 10|date=October 31, 2008|website=ESPN.com}}</ref><ref name="NFL suspends Larry Johnson for Week 10">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/chiefs/2008-10-31-larry-johnson-suspension_N.htm|title=NFL suspends Larry Johnson for Week 10|date=October 31, 2008|work=USA Today|access-date=May 6, 2009}}</ref> The suspension cost him $147,000; one game check.<ref name="auto5"/> He finished the season with 874 yards and five touchdowns.

Johnson's [[2009 NFL season|2009 season]] got off to a very slow start, despite Johnson keeping his starting job. As of week 8, he had 132 attempts for only 358 yards. His 2.7 yards per carry were the worst of any NFL running back with at least 70 carries.

On October 27, 2009, the Chiefs "instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities" for his Twitter comments on Chiefs' head coach [[Todd Haley]] and reportedly using [[gay slur]]s when he addressed the media.<ref name="trouble">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/10/27/chiefs-suspend-johnson-indefinitely/ |title=Chiefs suspend Johnson indefinitely |date=October 27, 2009 |access-date=October 27, 2009}}</ref> Because of his comments, Johnson encountered backlash from the [[GLAAD|Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.essence.com/news_entertainment/entertainment/articles/say_what_larry_johnson_uses_antigay_slurs |title=Say What?: Larry Johnson Uses Anti-Gay Slurs |journal=Essence |date=October 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108102819/http://www1.essence.com/news_entertainment/entertainment/articles/say_what_larry_johnson_uses_antigay_slurs |archive-date=November 8, 2009 }}</ref> Johnson's Twitter comments were: "My father got more credentials than most of these pro coaches." That was followed by: "My father played for the coach from "remember the titans". Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn."<ref name="slur">{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4596288|title=Chiefs' Johnson tweets Haley slam, gay slurs|date=October 26, 2009|website=ESPN}}</ref> Johnson's tweets were responded to by fans, one tweet including a reference to his nightclub incident. Johnson's response used the word "[[Faggot (slang)|fag]]". The final post read: "Make me regret it. Lmao. U don't stop my checks. Lmao. So 'tweet' away."<ref name="slur" /> Johnson subsequently said about the incidents, "First of all, I want to apologize to the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the NFL, Commissioner Goodell, the Chiefs organization, Coach Todd Haley, his staff, and my teammates for the words I used yesterday. I regret my actions. The words were used by me in frustration, and they were not appropriate."<ref name="trouble" />

On October 28, 2009, the Chiefs suspended Johnson until November 9 for "conduct detrimental to the club".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/10/28/chiefs_suspend_rb_larry_johnson |title= Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs Suspend RB Larry Johnson|website=www.kcchiefs.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113075031/http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/10/28/chiefs_suspend_rb_larry_johnson/ |archive-date=January 13, 2010}}</ref> They ultimately agreed to a deal with his agent, Peter Schaffer, in which he would only lose one game check ($300,000).<ref name="NYTRelease">Batista, Judy. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/sports/football/10chiefs.html Chiefs release Larry Johnson]". ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 10, 2009.</ref> At the time of the suspension, Johnson was only 75 yards from passing [[Priest Holmes]] as the franchise's all-time leading rusher. This angered several fans, who started a petition demanding that the Chiefs either deactivate, release, or waive him. The petition said that Johnson "has never represented anything close to the values that we have for our Chiefs" and thus did not deserve the record.<ref>"[https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4622503 Fans don't want Johnson to get record]". [[ESPN]], November 4, 2009.</ref>

On November 9, the day Johnson was due to return from his suspension, the Chiefs waived him. Reportedly, the final straw for Chiefs general manager [[Scott Pioli]] was yet another tweet in which Johnson belittled a fan for making less money than he made. Johnson's agent, Schaffer, issued the following statement: "A part of him is excited and a part of him is very regretful. There's a lot of feelings going on right now. It's analogous to breaking up with a girlfriend. Maybe you saw it coming, but it still hurts when it happens."<ref name="NYTRelease"/>