Johnson is young enough that he will probably get one more decent payday. As a running back in the NFL you have to make as much money as possible, so I understand him not wanting to take a pay cut.
Here are the quotes from Pro Football Talk.
Johnson, who has never been shy about finding external reasons for his struggles, said that he thinks that his results this season have been a “team effort.” As a result, there’s “no way” he’d consider a pay cut for next season although he would consider restructuring his deal without giving money back.
“I don’t think I’ll be out of work long,” Johnson said, via the Tennessean. “There’s nothing I can do about it. At the end of the day I’ve had a great time here and I appreciate all they have done for me. … I think it would be sad on both parts, but being in this league for so long I understand there is a business side of it.”