KERRYON JOHNSON NEWS

Will help fill in for Swift Lions running backs coach Kyle Caskey said Johnson will fill D'Andre Swift's role "as much as possible" Sunday against the Panthers with Swift ruled out for the game with a concuss...

Impact While Caskey hinted that Adrian Peterson would likely receive the start at running back, Johnson projects to take on the change-of-pace duties that Swift had handled prior to unseating Peterson as the team's starter Week 11 versus Washington. Unless the Lions race out to a big lead early Sunday and lean more heavily on a Peterson-led ground attack to churn the clock, Johnson will likely be in store for his most playing time and touches of the season. Johnson hasn't played more than 33 percent of the offensive snaps or earned more than eight combined carries and targets in any of the Lions' nine games to date.

NOVEMBER 20, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Lions, Stafford hope to take advantage of favorable schedule

Matthew Stafford has earned a reputation for being tough and playing through injuries

NOVEMBER 20, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Only one carry against Washington Johnson collected three rushing yards on his only carry during Sunday's 30-27 win against Washington.

Impact D'Andre Swift garnered 16 of 21 RB carries for the Lions in Week 10, with four-time All-Pro Adrian Peterson sweeping up four more. Johnson logged a season-high 25 offensive snaps last week against the Vikings while accumulating 65 scrimmage yards, but Sunday he established a new season low with only nine offensive snaps. The Lions face a Panthers defense in Week 11 that has surrendered the fourth-most RB rushing TDs in the NFL (10), but Johnson's role appears to have largely dissipated with Swift's emergence. The rookie has racked up 246 scrimmage yards and a touchdown the past two weeks.

NOVEMBER 18, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

THE DAILY DRIVE: Lions running back Kerryon Johnson isn't fazed by change in role Kerryon Johnson finding his way to again get carries in the Lions backfield

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 • DETROITLIONS.COM

Season-high snap share Johnson rushed four times for 29 yards and caught three of three targets for 36 yards during Sunday's loss to Minnesota.

Impact With D'Andre Swift unable to sustain the momentum he built in his Week 6 demolition of Jacksonville, it seems Detroit has slightly turned back to a committee approach to the backfield. While Swift still led the pack with a 40-percent snap share, Johnson had a season-high 33-percent share while Adrian Peterson checked in at 27 percent. Johnson subsequently saw his most touches since Week 2 while his 65 total yards were his most since Week 4 of the 2019 campaign. While it was a nice day for Johnson, relatively speaking, he remains a fantasy afterthought until he at least can overtake Peterson as the clear No. 2 behind Swift.

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Catches touchdown Johnson did not log a carry but did catch two of two targets for 15 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 41-21 loss to the Colts.

Impact Rookie D'Andre Swift seemed to struggle in pass protection, and it was Johnson who appeared to benefit. While Adrian Peterson will certainly remain a big part of this backfield as long as he stays healthy, Johnson could steal back some of the workload if Swift can't be trusted on passing downs. It will be interesting to see how the snaps are distributed in Week 9 against a beatable Vikings defense.

NOVEMBER 1, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

No touches against Falcons Johnson did not log a rushing attempt and he was not targeted in the passing game during Sunday's 23-22 victory over Atlanta.

Impact Johnson was on the field for 14 of 62 offensive snaps. While that wasn't all that far off of Adrian Peterson (19), Peterson was given 11 carries, and both veterans watched as D'Andre Swift (28) saw a season-high share (45 percent) of the playing time. With Bo Scarbrough now activated from injured reserve, there doesn't appear to be anywhere for Johnson's stock to go but further down unless he is moved before the Nov. 3 trade deadline.

OCTOBER 26, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Small role continues out of bye Johnson carried four times for nine yards while catching one of two targets for 11 yards during Sunday's 34-16 win over the Jaguars.

Impact Between D'Andre Swift having a monster day, Adrian Peterson getting 15 carries and a score of his own in the same game, and Bo Scarbrough (undisclosed) being designated to return from injured reserve, there don't appear to be many reasons to hold on to Johnson any longer in the vast majority of fantasy formats. If there was a reason, it probably involves hope that Johnson could be traded at some point before the deadline.

OCTOBER 19, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Stuck in small role Johnson rushed three times for nine yards while securing his only target for three yards during Sunday's 35-29 loss to New Orleans.

Impact Johnson had to be looked at by trainers in the second half after taking a shot to the hip, but he didn't need to be removed from the game and appeared to be running behind both D'Andre Swift and Adrian Peterson in this matchup even before getting nicked up. While Johnson could continue to maintain a small role in this backfield committee due to his pass-blocking abilities, the jack-of-all-trades clearly seems to have the lowest fantasy upside of the bunch.

OCTOBER 4, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Lions activate safety Jayron Kearse after 3-game suspension

The Detroit Lions activated safety Jayron Kearse after he served a three-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse

OCTOBER 1, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE DAILY DRIVE: Bevell: Kerryon Johnson was unsung hero in Lions' win over Cardinals Detroit Lions film review: Red zone offense has been ugly, but here's how they can fix it (subscription required)

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 • DETROITLIONS.COM

Kerryon Johnson earning high praise for doing the dirty work in Detroit Lions' backfield After leading the Detroit Lions in rushing in 2018-19, Kerryon Johnson had just 18 carries for 62 yards through the first three games.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 • FREEP.COM

Loses starting job Johnson rushed three times for 16 yards while securing his only target for 14 yards during Sunday's 26-23 victory over Arizona.

Impact Johnson lost starting duties to Adrian Peterson and ultimately saw just 20 offensive snaps compared to Peterson's 40 and D'Andre Swift's six. After the game, head coach Matt Patricia indicated that controlling the clock was one of Detroit's primary objectives, according to Chris Burke of the Athletic, which may explain why the backfield playing time was as divided as it was. Perhaps we should expect similar distributions when Detroit matches up with other fast-paced teams like the Cardinals, who rank top five in the league in total offensive snaps. However, barring an injury to Peterson or Swift, Johnson currently doesn't seem like a great bet for consistent offensive touches in any scenario.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Lions' collapse starts well before fourth quarter this time

The Detroit Lions didn’t bother waiting until the fourth quarter to blow a double-digit lead this time

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Scores short TD in loss Johnson rushed eight times for 32 yards and a touchdown while failing to haul in his lone target in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Packers.

Impact Johnson once again worked in a three-man rotation with Adrian Peterson (41 yards on seven carries) and D'Andre Swift (12 yards on five carries) after getting seven of the team's 24 running back carries in Week 1. He capped Detroit's opening drive with a one-yard touchdown run, and Johnson will need to maintain his role as the Lions' preferred goal-line option to stand out in the team's crowded backfield in Week 3 against the Cardinals and beyond.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Kerryon Johnson does Lambeau Leap into empty stands after early TD (Video) Lambeau Stadium looks a little different with no fans in the stands The Lambeau Leap just isn't the same in 2020, especially after the Green...

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 • FANSIDED.COM

Light workload despite starting nod Johnson rushed seven times for 14 yards and was not targeted in the passing game during Sunday's 27-23 loss to Chicago.

Impact Johnson got the starting nod, but Adrian Peterson ended up seeing the most carries (12) and D'Andre Swift easily led the backfield in snaps. While it is just one game, this breakdown is not what Johnson investors to see. It will be hard to trust him in any kind of fantasy lineup until further notice.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Bears, Lions hope to start strong after disappointing year

The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions will kick off their seasons in the Motor City on Sunday, desperately hoping to bounce back from disappointment

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

More competition in backfield Johnson is facing more competition in the backfield from Adrian Peterson, who signed a one-year contract with the Lions on Sunday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

Impact With D'Andre Swift (undisclosed) missing a good chunk of training camp with an injury, Johnson had an opportunity to begin the season as the Lions' starting running back. The addition of Peterson shouldn't change that immediately, but it could have more of an impact as the season rolls on. Johnson has admitted in training camp that he's not as shifty as Swift, so once the rookie gets healthy, this could turn into a committee backfield. If that's the case and Swift takes off as expected, Johnson could be the most affected back by Peterson's presence.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

AP source: Peterson agrees to 1-year deal with Detroit

A person with knowledge of the deal says Adrian Peterson has agreed to a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

D'Andre Swift Fantasy Outlook: Can Swift emerge as RB1 over Kerryon Johnson despite injury? D'Andre Swift is expected to be the lead back for the Lions, but can the rookie stave off competition from Kerryon Johnson as he deals with...

AUGUST 31, 2020 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM

Lions looking for big bounce-back season

The Detroit Lions are desperately hoping to bounce back from their worst season in a decade

AUGUST 26, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wears brace for confidence Johnson said he wears a knee brace for peace of mind, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Impact Reports of Johnson wearing a knee brace during practice led to some speculation about an injury setback, but it seems he enjoyed a healthy offseason and has remained in good health throughout training camp. While most players find it burdensome to wear a brace on the field, Johnson says he's comfortable wearing one, noting that it helps his confidence. He missed eight games last season with a torn meniscus in his right knee, and he's now facing snap/touch competition from rookie second-round pick D'Andre Swift.

AUGUST 25, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

Kerryon Johnson wearing a knee brace for 'peace of mind' After dealing with injuries his first two seasons, running back Kerryon Johnson started wearing a knee brace for peace of mind.

AUGUST 25, 2020 • DETROITLIONS.COM

Camp Spotlight: Running back Kerryon Johnson Tim Twentyman tracks the performance of running back Kerryon Johnson during Day 3 of open training camp practice.

AUGUST 20, 2020 • DETROITLIONS.COM