“I’m very blessed to be able to play every game for my third consecutive year and not miss a practice. In every sport, especially professional football, that’s hard to do. You could get hurt on any play because you’re running into other grown men,” Johnson said. “I was able to show I’m dependable and I’m the type of guy that’s going to show up and go to work day in and day out. A lot of people don’t understand that about the game. It’s a real job. You’re there from 6 or 7 in the morning to 4 or 5 in the evening every day.”

Johnson said he’s already looking forward to the future, a future that’s potentially a bright one for the Bengals and the young standout.

“I’m very blessed,” Johnson said. “I look back on the season and am thankful for the situations I was in and the opportunities we had as a team — good and bad — to learn from and grow from. I think we have an opportunity to be good for a long time.”