Officially receives medical clearance

Johnson (wrist) has been cleared from injury and will not be limited during the Cardinals' offseason program, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: Johnson has been seeking official medical clearance from Arizona's medical staff all offseason and it finally appears as if he's fully recovered from the fractured wrist he sustained in the 2017 season opener. With the start of voluntary veteran workouts still over a week away, the running back should be available for the entirety of the installation of new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's offense, in which Johnson will serve as the centerpiece. Furthermore, it can't hurt that Johnson will…read more

Still not fully cleared

Johnson (wrist) is still in the process of gaining full clearance, but he should get there by the time the Cardinals start Organized Team Activities on May 15, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports.

Analysis: Johnson was cleared to resume football activities in early February, but he apparently still has some limitations. This may just be a matter of the Cardinals being cautious, as there isn't much incentive to rush Johnson back for on-field work in April. He'll return to a new-look Arizona offense with Mike McCoy as the coordinator and Sam Bradford as the starting quarterback. Johnson remains the centerpiece, two years removed from a spectacular season of 2,118 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns.…read more

Johnson will be working alongside quarterback Sam Bradford in 2018 after the latter signed with the Cardinals on Friday.

Analysis: The addition of Bradford clears up the major question mark within the Cards offense in the wake of Carson Palmer's retirement. Like Palmer, Bradford brings along a teeming medical chart, including a bone bruise in his knee that contained him to two appearances in 2017. When on the field, though, he completed 71.8 percent of his passes in 17 games as a Viking, which should benefit Johnson's do-it-all nature. Although his third season was all but wiped away by a dislocated left wrist, Johnson has…read more

Cleared to resume football activities

Johnson (wrist) has been fully cleared to resume all activities, Kent Somers of AZCentral Sports reports.

Analysis: Johnson said that the new head coach of the Cardinals, former Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, told him that running the football will be "a foundation of the offense" in 2018. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like Johnson will be operating under any restrictions when the team reconvenes for offseason workouts this April and May to begin installing the system this new offense will play under. With that said, Johnson's fantasy value is currently clouded by all the question marks that…read more

Wrist healed

In a podcast interview, Johnson said his wrist is healed and his strength and full range of motion are returning, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official website reports.

Analysis: A good sign for the highly-touted running back as he heads into the offseason, looking to put the injury-riddled 2017 campaign behind him. Although the reports say the wrist if fully healed, the injury is still something to keep an eye on heading into offseason workouts.

Needs to be full strength for return

Cardinals general manager John Keim said Johnson (wrist) will only return this season if there's no gray area regarding his health, Darren Urban of the team's official website reports.

Analysis: Recent comments from both sides suggest that player and team are in agreement, not quite ready to rule Johnson out for the season but also showing no desire to rush him back into action without any realistic shot to reach the playoffs. Given that Johnson said his wrist felt stiff less than two weeks ago, a return still seems unlikely. The Cardinals probably would want to see him get at least one full week of practice before potentially bringing him back for Week 16 or 17.

Johnson said Friday that his left wrist is still stiff following September surgery and he has yet to regain his full range of motion, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic reports.

Analysis: Johnson didn't close the door on the possibility of returning before Arizona's season ends Dec. 31, but that's growing increasingly unlikely with the 5-6 Cardinals on the periphery of the playoff picture. Until Johnson takes part in practice in some capacity, a return this season shouldn't be viewed as especially realistic.

May not play again this season

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday that he doesn't believe Johnson (wrist) has made enough progress in his recovery from surgery to return from injured reserve this season, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site reports.

Analysis: Arians and Johnson have been at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding another appearance in 2017. The coach's comments Wednesday are just another in a string of pessimistic statements, but Johnson may have been coming around to Arians' line of thinking after the cast was removed from his left wrist last week. "My doctor said don't make a return schedule because you never know with the risks, you know it's such a tricky thing," Johnson told Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic. While Johnson…read more

No timetable set for return

Johnson, who had the cast removed from his surgically repaired left wrist earlier this week, said Wednesday that doctors haven't given him a timetable for his return to the field, Jeremy Cluff of The Arizona Republic reports. "My doctor said don't make a return schedule because you never know with the risks, you know it's such a tricky thing," Johnson said. "I've had it in a brace for eight weeks and it is still stiff and its still weak so he said, 'Don't, you know, don't make a schedule.'"

Analysis: With his cast off, Johnson said he would begin the rehab process in earnest, but since he's still experiencing stiffness in the wrist after it was immobilized for two months, it could take some time for him to regain his full range of motion. Given that the Cardinals are 4-5 and seemingly on the periphery of postseason contention, there may not be much incentive for the team to activate Johnson at any point in the coming weeks if he isn't 100 percent healthy. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians…read more

Gets cast removed

Johnson (wrist) had his cast removed Monday, Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official website reports.

Analysis: Speaking to the media a couple weeks ago, Johnson said he'd have to see how long it takes for the stiffness and soreness to subside once he had his cast removed. It sounds as if he'll take an aggressive approach to rebuilding strength in the wrist with the hope of returning at some point in December, but it's fair to question whether the plan might change if the Cardinals aren't in the mix for a playoff spot. Johnson did make it clear that he wants to return even if the Cardinals aren't in the…read more