Jan Johnson happy to be back with Tennessee Titans after joining practice squad

It’s been a week of mixed emotions for Jan Johnson.

Tuesday the former Gov. Mifflin standout was cut by the Tennessee Titans, then told he might be brought back.

Wednesday he was offered a chance to be part of the club’s 16-man practice squad and gladly accepted.

“Obviously, I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t make the 53-man,” said the 25-year-old Johnson, “but I’m also thankful and grateful that they saw enough in me that they want to keep working (with me) and see if I can improve and help them out. It’s a great opportunity and I get to stick around and practice.”

Johnson went undrafted out of Penn State following his 2019 senior season, then was signed by the Houston Texans in April 2020. He was cut midway through training camp.

He had subsequent tryouts with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers but no offers.

Johson said he was told Tuesday by Titans general manager Jon Robinson that he would be brought back if not claimed on waivers, so he remained upbeat.

“It’s not exactly where I want to be yet, but it’s definitely a confidence boost that they said, ‘Hey, we want you to stick around,’ ” Johnson said. “They could’ve just told me they wanted to move on from me and go other ways. It’s more reason to continue working harder and eventually end up on a 53-man roster.”

Johnson was a two-year starter and a team captain as a senior at Penn State. He made 13 starts in 2019, including one in the Cotton Bowl, and earned his third degree, in Health Policy & Administration. He earned a psychology degree as an undergraduate and then a master’s degree in management and organizational leadership.

Johnson turned down a scholarship to Akron so that he could walk on at Penn State. He eventually earned a scholarship.

He had a remarkable career at Gov. Mifflin, where he played quarterback and linebacker, earned All-State status as a senior and was selected for the Big 33 Classic. He was also a two-time PIAA wrestling champ.

There were no preseason games in the NFL last summer, due to the COVID outbreak, so Johnson’s first live experience in an NFL game came in August, when he played in each of the Titans’ three games.

“Obviously, you’re playing with the best of the best,” Johnson said. “All those other guys are trying to make NFL rosters. It was awesome to get to compete against them and see what it’s like to play in the NFL.”

Johnson played middle linebacker and was designated as the “green dot” player, meaning he had a radio receiver and set of speakers inside his helmet so that he could communicate with the coaching staff.

“That was cool and different, getting the call from the defensive coordinator into your helmet vs. looking at the sideline for signals,” he said.

The NFL expanded its practice squad roster to 12 last year, because of the COVID outbreak, and then to 16 for this year.

Two players can be elevated from the practice squad for each game and added to the roster, giving teams 55 players to choose from on game day. Only 48 are designated as active.

The minimum salary for practice squad players is $9,200 per week. Players with more experience can be paid as much as $14,000 per week.

If a player is promoted to the active roster on game day he will receive a prorated cut of the minimum annual salary for a player with his number of accrued seasons.

Practice squad players are eligible to sign with other NFL teams but only if they are signed to another team’s 53-man roster.