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NFL notes: Veteran running back Chris Johnson signs with Arizona

New York Jets running back Chris Johnson looks on during a game against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 28. The Jets parted ways with Johnson in February.

New York Jets running back Chris Johnson looks on during a game against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 28. The Jets parted ways with Johnson in February.

(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
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The Arizona Cardinals and running back Chris Johnson agreed to terms on a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.

Johnson, who turns 30 next month, played with the New York Jets last season, his seventh in the NFL, and recorded career lows for carries (155), yards rushing (663) and rushing touchdowns (one) after signing a two-year, $8-million deal. He had rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of first six seasons, all with the Tennessee Titans.

Adding the three-time Pro Bowl player would give the Cardinals a veteran back to complement Andre Ellington, the starter who often lines up as a receiver. Arizona had the worst running game in the NFL last season, averaging 3.3 yards a carry.

Clowney practices with Texans

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Jadeveon Clowney practiced with the Houston Texans for the first time since undergoing microfracture knee surgery. The outside linebacker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft, participated in walk-throughs and individual drills, but did not do any contact work. The team isn’t sure when Clowney will play in a game. He played only four games last season because of various injuries before having season-ending surgery in December.

Browns’ Seymour suspended

Cleveland backup center Ryan Seymour was suspended by the NFL without pay for this season’s first four games for violating league policy on performance-enhancing substances. The league did not say which substance Seymour, who started three games for the Browns last season, used.

Rivers plans to retire as a Charger

Philip Rivers will be the Chargers’ quarterback through 2019, he said, “wherever we are.” Whether the team remains in San Diego or moves to the Los Angeles area, Rivers, 33, will be able to retire with lightning bolts on his helmet after agreeing over the weekend to a four-year, $84-million contract extension — a deal that includes a no-trade clause. Not even the late Junior Seau, a newly inducted Hall of Famer, or LaDainian Tomlinson, who’s probably Canton-bound, got to finish their careers as Chargers. “To spend my whole career in one place is very special,” Rivers said at a news conference Monday.

Marshall defends Smith

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New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall came to Geno Smith’s defense, saying the injured quarterback was not at fault in last week’s locker-room fight. In an interview with ESPN Radio, Marshall said he saw then-teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali punch Smith and break his jaw. Marshall said Smith did not stick a finger in Enemkpali’s face, as some reports suggested. Smith is expected to miss six to 10 weeks.

Etc.

Washington Redskins President Bruce Allen said the organization would not reconsider whether to change the team’s nickname if it became a political barrier to building a new stadium in the nation’s capital or elsewhere. The club plays at FedEx Field — which opened in Landover, Md., in 1997 — and has explored sites for a new facility, even though its lease there runs until 2026. . . . Minnesota right tackle Phil Loadholt’s season is over because of a torn left Achilles’ tendon suffered in a preseason game Saturday. . . . Buffalo backup linebacker Ty Powell injured his right knee during a joint practice with the Browns, and Bills Coach Rex Ryan said the initial diagnosis was a torn ligament, which would end his season. . . . Tennessee signed outside linebacker Andy Studebaker, who played in 13 games for Indianapolis last year, and waived wide receiver Clyde Gates. . . . Jacksonville defensive end Chris Clemons returned to practice after sitting out the first two weeks of training camp to deal with personal issues.

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