The reaction to Chris Johnson’s ALS diagnosis has been heartbreaking across the NFL, but one silver lining from a devastating situation has been the chance to relive and reconsume CJ2K’s greatest moments with the Tennessee Titans. 

Johnson’s breathtaking runs, his 2,500-yard scrimmage season, and six consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns in Nashville make him the most electric player in franchise history. No argument. No competition.

That conversation naturally led me to think about who else belongs on this list. So here are the 10 most electric Titans players since the franchise moved to the state of Tennessee.

CJ2K stands alone at the top

Johnson wasn’t just a straight-line burner. He was the full package. He could catch out of the backfield, he was shifty, and his patience as a runner was wildly underrated. 

I keep going back to that short clip of him coaching up running backs at the Senior Bowl in Jan. 2025, just a few months before his diagnosis began. He was teaching patience, vision, and lateral quickness. 

Jason McCourty, his former teammate, echoed that same thing after Johnson’s Good Morning America interview, recalling how CJ used to coach up fullback Ahmad Hall on how to be more patient and not just go full head of steam.

The toughness factor deserves mention too. Johnson tore his meniscus early in the 2013 season and finished the entire year playing on it. He also got shot in the shoulder while with the Arizona Cardinals, which likely shortened a career that could have stretched even further. 

You can include the former Oilers in this conversation if you want. Nobody has been more electric than Chris Johnson.

Derrick Henry and Steve McNair round out the top 3

No. 2: RB Derrick Henry (2016-2023) 

I always said Henry was closer to Johnson than Eddie George from a play-style standpoint. He looked more like George from a size perspective, but that one-cut-and-go ability, the home run speed, the stiff arm that creates space. 

Henry deserves enormous credit for developing his vision and craft after coming out of Alabama, where he could rely on being the biggest, fastest, and strongest player on every field. Once he graduated from backing up DeMarco Murray to becoming the full-time starter, he turned into a complete running back. 

The 99-yard run against Jacksonville on Thursday night, the playoff run against the Bills, the multiple 200-yard games. Henry will likely break the record for most 200-yard games in an NFL career, and the longevity of his production is its own marvel.

No. 3: QB Steve McNair (1996-2005) 

McNair was an improvisational artist. Broken plays, standing tall in the pocket, punishing defenders who tried to bring him down. The AFC Championship Game run against the Jaguars. The final Super Bowl drive where he knocked Rams defenders off of him. McNair brought juice and energy to his teammates with every unexpected play, and he was the co-MVP in 2003 for good reason.

Vince Young and A.J. Brown bring the electricity at 4 and 5

No. 4 QB Vince Young (2006-2010)

I think it’s fitting that the top four guys on this list come in pairs of admiration. Henry grew up admiring Johnson, and VY idolized McNair. 

That Rookie of the Year campaign was absolute electricity. The walk-off overtime touchdown against the Houston Texans, the comebacks against the Bills, the 99-yard drive capped by the throw to Kenny Britt in the back of the end zone against the Cardinals. Unconventional, unpredictable, and undeniably electric.

No. 5: WR A.J. Brown (2019-2021) 

One-handed catches, toe-tap deep balls with defenders draped all over him, slants taken to the house, and that end around against the New Orleans Saints as a rookie for a 50-yard touchdown. Brown even caught an onside kick attempt by the Indianapolis Colts and returned it for a score. 

Electric in every phase he touched.

The rest of the top 10 “most electric” Titans 

This is where the margins tighten. 

No. 6 is Delanie Walker, who was phenomenal in short areas with quick bursts and after-the-catch ability. 

No. 7 goes to Jonnu Smith, a sneaky pick cut from similar cloth as Walker. Seven players deep and only one receiver on the list. That says something about how the Titans have generated their most explosive moments.

Derrick Mason earns the No. 8 spot as the original all-purpose yardage king, a return man turned polished receiver who still looks like he could suit up. 

No. 9 is Nate Washington, who could go up and get it. That Detroit Lions shootout where he jumped over a defender and ripped the ball off his back was unforgettable. A Tiffin University product who became the No. 1 receiver in Nashville deserved better quarterback play.

I’m cheating a little at No. 10 with Pac-Man Jones, because he wasn’t an offensive player. But those punt returns, those interception returns, that Giants game where Vince Young came back from 21-0 and Pac-Man picked off Eli Manning twice in the second half. Short-lived, but undeniably electric.

Honorable mentions go to Pro Bowl return man Mark Mariani, DeMarco Murray for his first year and a half flipping the franchise around, and Tyjae Spears. Stay healthy, Tyjae. If he can, he might bump Pac-Man off this list.

All of these guys made Titans fans stand up from their seats in the stadium, at home, or at the bar. Chris Johnson made them stand up faster and more often, unlike any of them, including Derrick Henry.