THOUSAND OAKS — Trumaine Johnson hopes this isn’t his only successful season with the Rams.
Johnson, the Rams’ top cornerback, understands his six-season tenure with the Rams could be in its twilight, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent when this season ends.
A few months ago, Johnson seemed resigned to departing from the only NFL team for which he has played, and hinted that the Rams no longer seemed to want him. Now, with the Rams enjoying what is by far the best season of Johnson’s career, he seems to have some optimism about staying around.
“I don’t think tend to think about it too much, but of course I think about it,” Johnson said after Friday’s practice at Cal Lutheran. “I know it will come. It usually comes after the season, so we’ll see. My focus is on this last game and making a run in the playoffs, and everything else will take care of itself.”
Either way, Johnson will be fine. He turns 28 on Monday and still should have some prime seasons left. Even if the Rams don’t re-sign Johnson, other teams will be happy to offer multi-year contracts to the lanky team captain who has 11 career interceptions and has been solid in coverage this season.
There’s something more, though. Johnson is a native of Stockton and has enjoyed having family nearby, and he feels something for the Rams, who drafted him in the third round out of Montana in 2012.
Johnson has yet to sign a second (negotiated) contract, though. His rookie deal expired after the 2016 season, and the Rams applied their franchise-player tag to him. They hoped to sign him to an extension then, but it didn’t happen, so Johnson was tagged for a second consecutive year.
The NFL doesn’t allow for a player to be tagged in three consecutive years, so this is it for Johnson, who is the Rams’ highest-paid player this season at more than $16.7 million, thanks to the franchise tag.
It had been a while since Johnson talked about his situation, and even then, he didn’t say much. During training camp, when it became clear that Johnson would start the season without a new contract, he politely answered questions but deflected most of them and said he was “just here to win games.”
Johnson almost seemed to be hurt, as he told reporters, “I believe the Rams are going in a different direction at the end of the season, and that’s out of my control.”
The saga took a twist at the end of training camp when teammates voted Johnson as one of their team captains for the first time in his career. At the time, Johnson’s “win games” mantra seemed like a throwaway line by a player who wanted to avoid questions. Then the Rams won the NFC West.
For a player who had never won more than eight games in a season, it felt like a jackpot.
“Honestly, I meant what I said,” Johnson said. “I came back to win games. We’ve had a tremendous year. Big ‘ups’ to my teammates. We all bought into what (Coach) Sean McVay was preaching, and from the beginning, it’s been working. The ultimate goal was to win games, and I’m a winner at heart.”
Johnson said he hasn’t changed much in his role as team captain — something he called “a big honor” — but Johnson has been asked to carry a big load in the secondary this season.
Kayvon Webster, the Rams’ other starting cornerback, missed two games in September with a shoulder injury, then tore an Achilles tendon three weeks ago in the game against Philadelphia.
Johnson already drew the assignment of the opponent’s top receiver, but now, with Webster out for the season, it’s imperative for Johnson to thrive. The pressure is on, particularly as the Rams prepare for the playoffs, but Johnson said he’s having more fun than ever before in his NFL career.
“Big time, man,” Johnson said. “When you’re winning games, the whole locker room is stress-free. Because this is our whole life. You put so much work in, just to go out there and play 60 minutes. Winning games is everything.”
The Rams appear to be set up for long-term success under McVay, but this coming offseason will include a lot of decisions regarding impending free agents, particularly in the secondary.
Johnson’s contract is up and Webster has one year remaining, but it’s not yet known whether he will be ready for the start of the season. Starting safety Lamarcus Joyner also is set to reach free agency and the Rams would like to bring him back, and of course, lineman Aaron Donald’s contract situation still looms.
It’s still possible the Rams could come back to Johnson, who won’t be eligible to sign with another team until March. Asked, directly, if he thought a new contract could be worked out with the Rams, Johnson smiled.
“I’d love to be around,” Johnson said. “But again, I understand the business side of it, so we’ll see. We’ll see in these next couple months.”
BARRON CONCERN
Linebacker Mark Barron, who missed last week’s game with an Achilles injury and won’t play in Sunday’s season finale against San Francisco, isn’t a sure thing to return for the playoffs, McVay said.
“He’s such a tough — physically and mentally — guy,” McVay said, “but when something like this creeps up, it definitely concerns you because you don’t really know. Is he going to be available? Is he not? It’s really all predicated on how he feels that day. This is something that you monitor day to day.”
Barron did not practice this week and is on the list of players who will sit out Sunday’s game. McVay said he values rest for some of his players over the possibility of claiming the No. 3 seed in the NFC bracket.
Quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, receiver Cooper Kupp, offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan, Donald, Barron and linebacker Alec Ogletree will not play, and McVay hinted that players such as offensive lineman Rodger Saffold and receivers Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins would receive minimal playing time.