The 31-year-old German fullback will work as a television analyst for RTL, while stopping short of officially ending his NFL career.
RTL announced Johnson as a new analyst, with his first assignment set for next weekend’s Las Vegas Raiders–Kansas City Chiefs game. Johnson told dpa he is staying fit and does not want to sit at home doing nothing; he said a small possibility of continuing remains until he makes an official retirement announcement.
Johnson was the first German player to reach the NFL through the league’s International Player Pathway programme. It helped him earn a roster spot with the New England Patriots, where he scored a touchdown and became the first German offensive player to score one in the NFL.
Across seven NFL seasons, Johnson was also under contract with the Raiders and New York Giants, and spent last season with the Houston Texans. He is currently without a team, lives with his family in Tennessee and continues training on his own.