PHOENIX -- Texans veteran running back David Johnson understands just how potentially awkward his return to Arizona might feel Sunday, going back to familiar territory one year after being involved in a controversial trade for All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
When Johnson squares off against his former team, the undefeated Cardinals, he comes back to State Farm Stadium as part of a 1-5 Texans team that has been installed as an 18-point underdog.
"It's very exciting; it's going to be weird going to somewhere I was drafted to and played most of my career," Johnson, 29, said this week during an anti-bullying event in Houston. "I'm excited. This is one of the games I circled on my calendar, and I definitely will have a lot of friends there.
"I don't know if it will be emotional. I think it will be something, just a different feeling coming and being on the opposite side of the field, being in the opposite locker room and wearing a different jersey. I think it will just be a different feeling."
Few NFL players, including Johnson, could match up with Hopkins in terms of getting back appropriate returning value.
Photo: Getty Images
And the widely criticized trade, engineered by former Texans coach and general manager Bill O'Brien due to his irrevocably broken relationship with Hopkins and Hopkins' desire for a new blockbuster contract, which he received subsequently from the Cardinals in a two-year, $54.5 million extension, has continued to follow both players in different ways. Johnson is a third-down back for the Texans, fulfilling a complementary role. Hopkins is the Cardinals' featured wide receiver and leads them with six touchdown catches.
The Texans received Johnson, a 2016 All-Pro selection, a second-round draft selection that became backup defensive tackle Ross Blacklock and the teams exchanged fourth-round selections.
One year after a solid season as the Texans' primary back, Johnson comes back to Arizona under a restructured contract that allowed him to remain with the Texans and also in a reduced role with Mark Ingram the starting running back.
Coming off his worst performance of the season, losing a fumble and missing a blitz pickup while rushing for seven yards on two carries during a 31-3 road loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Johnson is determined to turn things around.
Johnson sought outside help last year with counsel from Sean-Kelley Quinn, a mental conditioning coach and psychologist.
"The biggest thing is I talked to my psychologist last year and he said is control what I can control," Johnson said. "That's what he helped instill in me, so that's how I do it. I can't control what the owners do, what the GM does. I just have to control myself and the plays and get ready for Arizona."
Johnson has rushed for just 79 yards on 20 carries, averaging 4.0 yards per run.
He has 14 receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown on 18 targets and 206 total yards from scrimmage.
Johnson had an altogether different role last season with the Texans, albeit during a 4-12 season.
He played 550 snaps, 74 percent overall of the Texans' offensive snaps. This year, Johnson has played 42 percent of the Texans' offensive snaps and 159 overall.
Johnson finished with 1,005 all-purpose yards and eight total touchdowns last season in a dozen games played as the Texans finished 31st in the NFL in rushing last season as they averaged just 91.6 rushing yards per contest.
When the Texans hired former New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio as their new general manager, he had plenty of decisions to make. Among them: whether to retain Johnson.
As Caserio learned more about Johnson’s character and work ethic and strong desire to remain with the Texans, he made it a priority to keep him and negotiated a restructured contract with a maximum value of $6 million with Johnson’s agents at Sportsstars Inc., Brian Mackler and Jonathan Perzley.
Now, Johnson’s contract includes a $3 million signing bonus and a fully guaranteed $1.25 million base salary, $4.25 million guaranteed at signing and a salary-cap figure of $4.82 million. Johnson can make an additional $750,000 in roster bonuses for being active every game, at a rate of $46,875 per game.
Johnson can make an additional $2 million in not likely to be earned incentives that include reaching statistical milestones, the playoffs and individual awards, including NFL Most Valuable Player and NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
Johnson was originally due a $7.95 million base salary with $2.1 million guaranteed from his three-year, $39 million contract acquired from Arizona.
“Most definitely, I wanted to come back here,” Johnson said. “We love the community here. We love the organization and what they did for me and my family, everything they did to get everything situated with the doctors, schooling. It was a pretty easy choice for me. It was just figuring out the contractual part of it and it worked out good."
Johnson rushed for 691 yards and six touchdowns and caught 33 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns last season. Johnson generated at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the fourth time in his career.
Johnson averaged 4.7 yards per carry last season.
Toward the end of last season, Johnson increased his production with a season-high 128 rushing yards and a score on 12 carries in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and 84 yards on 14 carries in a season-ending loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Texans aren't expected to win Sunday, not against J.J. Watt, Budda Baker and other defensive stalwarts.
Johnson likes the idea of proving people wrong against the 6-0 Cardinals.
"Most definitely, I've always had that chip on my shoulder," Johnson said. "It's nothing new for me. Sometimes, those teams overlook an underdog like us. If we come out, especially me, and play better than last week and do everything I an to help out this offense, I think it will help us out in getting a win."
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.