Los Angeles Rams CB Trumaine Johnson claims OTAs absence wasn’t contract related

There was speculation surrounding Trumaine Johnson’s absence from OTAs last week with the Los Angeles Rams was related to his contract situation.

After the Los Angeles Rams decided to use the hefty franchise tag on Trumaine Johnson for the second year in a row, there’s been plenty of speculation surrounding whether the cornerback would eventually receive a long-term deal from the organization. As bad as it sounds, it seems like the Rams made the decision to use the tag on Johnson once again due to the fact they didn’t believe he was worthy of a hefty contract, but also felt they couldn’t afford to lose him in free agency.

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Of course, it will be interesting to see how the next few weeks play out since reports surfaced not long ago about how Los Angeles may sit down with Johnson in the middle of June to discuss the possibility of an extension. And even though his random absence from OTAs last week drew speculation over the cornerback being unhappy over where the two parties stood on a potential new deal, Johnson made it clear on Monday that was far from the case.

It’s one thing for a head coach to have an answer as to why one of his players was absent from organized team activities, but to see Sean McVay clueless over the reasons why Johnson skipped practice last Tuesday without any heads up seemed a bit odd. However, the important factor is Johnson was present during Monday’s session to address the rumors surrounding the idea he was holding out on his own to protest his current contract situation.

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Only time will tell when it comes to whether Los Angeles will actually sit down with Johnson to discuss a possible extension, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they just ended up letting him play another year under the tag to prove himself worthy. Johnson may be earning top dollar for the 2016 season, but the debate is still out there when it comes to whether he’s a good fit for the Rams’ defense under Wade Phillips, which means holding off on a long-term deal would make perfect sense.