David Johnson, the arizona cardinals' star running back, made his first public comments to the media yesterday since he suffered a wrist injury that will cause him to miss a big chunk of the season. Johnson spoke candidly about his injury, the grueling rehab process that he will be facing going forward, and gave his thoughts on Fantasy Football.
Johnson's injury timeline
In week one, David Johnson injured his wrist against the Detriot Lions during the third quarter. Two days later on September 12th the star running back was put on injured reserve (IR), as the injury will sideline him for two to three months. By being put on IR, the earliest that he could be designated to return is in week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Four days ago on September 17th, Johnson had surgery on his dislocated wrist and yesterday he spoke to the media in front of his locker.
Didn't know that he was severely injured at first
Johnson was injured during a 24-yard catch that he made and says that he had no idea how bad his left wrist injury was following the play, as he was more worried about getting his wind back. He said that he later noticed his wrist was hurt but assumed it was just a sprain of some kind that he could get taped up.
On his next carry, Johnson fumbled and that's when he knew something was wrong. He said that “The guy had hit it out and I actually didn't feel the football as much. I didn't feel like I was holding the football as strong as I normally do.” Johnson said that that was when he realized something was seriously wrong.
The morning after the game, Johnson got the news in terms of the extent of his injury, confirmed by team doctors. Johnson said emotion set in soon afterward as he was upset at himself because he fumbled at a key moment in the game that could have been prevented.
Discusses rehab and fantasy football
David Johnson told reporters that he has not yet started rebuilding his cardio or working out his lower body.
He said that it has been tough, as he has been told to get as much rest as possible so that his wrist, which has a cast on it, can heal correctly. He said that there is no timeline to return following his surgery and that “I'm really just trying to make sure my wrist is 100 percent.”
He was also asked about fantasy football, as Johnson was the top player selected in many fantasy leagues this year. However, when asked about it, he said: “No, no that's the last thing, Fantasy is the last thing on my mind right now.”
