Every Chris Begins With...

"Hey, I'm the best player in the NFL...or at least my paycheck should say that."

That's right, earlier this week Chris Johnson made a statement that he should be the highest-paid player in the NFL. He recently set the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage in a single season and broke over 2,000 yards rushing.

Johnson became only the sixth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards. The other five? O.J. Simpson, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and Jamal Lewis.

Like Dickerson, Chris Johnson's landmark season was only his second in professional football. Dickerson recorded five 1,000 yard season but only one came close to his dominance in 1984. Even though O.J. Simpson managed to have an outstanding career, he shattered his public image with legal troubles. Barry Sanders only played one more season, Terrell Davis never rushed for more than 700 yards, and Jamal Lewis dropped his performance 50% - all after these record-breaking 2,000 yard seasons.

So before Chris Johnson gets more money than any player in the NFL, the Titans need to assess whether he can produce as much as he did this season. No player has done it twice. Let's look at the facts.

The average career of an NFL player is 3 and a half years. Johnson has already played two. Think back to the top runningbacks five years ago. How many are still playing at the top of their game? Even LaDainian Tomlinson is past his prime. We've yet to see an outstanding runningback show the longevity of the great '90s backs: Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin, Marshall Faulk, and Fred Taylor.

Maybe Chris Johnson should get a lucrative deal - he may not be making this money for much longer.

At least his bold statement caught the ears of the Colts. Because if anyone deserves a record-breaking contract, it's Peyton Manning.