David Johnson’s holdout is the right move for him and his family

The offseason is going swimmingly for the Arizona Cardinals.

They are in their first mandatory minicamp under Steve Wilks.

Sam Bradford is finally getting into the swing of things.

The team is learning and finding their identity under a new head coach and staff.

It is the beginning of something new and hopefully wonderful.

Except, now they are dealing with the distraction of their most important offensive player, David Johnson, holding out for a new contract.

And to be short and frank, he should.

David Johnson is 26, will be 27 in December and is on the last year of his rookie contract that will pay him $1.88 million this season.

He is close to the running back wall of 30 and this is likely to be his one and only big contract of his career.

So, holding out for a new contract makes sense. You see, Johnson has to find a way to make as much money as fast as he possibly can because he is running out of time.

Sure, he can play another five or six years, but those last years will likely be on veteran minimum contracts unless he is more of a freak than we know or expect.

Getting paid now, before the start of the 2018 season will assuage the stress of both sides. If Johnson gets hurt, he has $18-20 million in guarantees. If Johnson is the player everyone assumes he will be again, the $9-10 million a year salary he is on will be incredibly cheap compared to what his salary demands will be next offseason and saves the Cardinals money down the line.

Johnson is doing the right thing by making sure he gets paid before the season and secures whatever money he can for his and his families future.

It’s the ugly part of the business, but it is what is best for the player, and too often we forget that part of the equation.