Details of John Johnson III's new contract with Rams emerge

Contributor
AJ Schulte
Details of John Johnson III's new contract with Rams emerge image

The Los Angeles Rams announced the re-signing of veteran safety John Johnson III on July 4th. This marks Johnson's third stint with the Rams, and his second on a one-year contract with Los Angeles.  The Rams aimed to bring a veteran leader to their secondary, and Johnson shores up their depth

The details of Johnson's second free-agent deal with the Rams came out this week, showing how much of a potential steal this could be for Los Angeles. 

According to Over the Cap, Johnson's new deal is structured as such:

-Base salary: $1,210,000
-Prorated signing bonus: $120,000
-Roster bonus: $32,500
-Guaranteed salary: $625,000

Johnson will account for a $1.15M cap hit for 2024 for this season, or 0.4% of their cap space. Johnson's deal in 2023 didn't include any roster bonuses or guaranteed money, so it's a pay raise for Johnson heading into 2024.

Compare this to his free agent deal signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, where he signed for a three-year, $33M deal. While Johnson has lost a step athletically, his veteran presence is crucial for a team as young and unproven in the secondary as the Rams are. He'll be an important part of their defense this season, making a deal this cheap a steal.