Saints sign ex-Pro Bowl RB to practice squad

Dec 19, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen serves as head coach as Sean Payton has Covid-19 during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Saints have had their running back depth tested after Mark Ingram suffered a sprained MCL in Week 8, and they made a move on Wednesday to address that.

Former Pro Bowl running back David Johnson has signed a practice squad deal with the Saints, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported. The 30-year-old visited with the Saints prior to the season.

Johnson spent the last two seasons with the Houston Texans. He rushed for just 228 yards in 13 games last year before going unsigned as a free agent. Johnson took to Twitter on Monday night to express how much he misses playing in the NFL.

I miss 🏈😔

— David Johnson (@DavidJohnson31) November 14, 2022

The timing seems to have worked out for him.

Johnson spent the first five years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He had his best season in 2016, when he rushed for 1,239 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. The former Northern Iowa star also had 80 receptions for 879 yards and an additional 4 scores.

While the Saints obviously do not expect the 2016 version of Johnson, they could use another back to help spell Alvin Kamara.