"Chris Johnson wants to be paid like one of the NFL's "elite" players. That doesn't mean, however, the Titans running back is looking to be compensated along the lines of quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Sure, Johnson would like the $18 million per year average of those guys. Who wouldn't? But it's not realistic. Johnson knows it, and you can be sure the Titans wouldn't be willing to go down that road.

The Titans are offering to make Johnson the highest paid running back in the NFL, but it's safe to assume Johnson thinks the team is trying to hide behind contracts of players not in his category. Johnson believes he's in a different class than Carolina's DeAngelo Williams, who recently signed a contract with $21 million in guaranteed money. Steven Jackson's six-year, $44 million deal with St. Louis was nice, but Johnson wants an average more than that.

Johnson, who has more rushing yards than any player over the past three years, considers himself a playmaker who impacts the game along the same lines of players at other positions – defensive linemen and receivers. The contracts for other running backs would only bring his payday down."