Vikings wide receiver Charles Johnson said "It's just unfortunate circumstances that turned this year," while cleaning out his locker at Winter Park on Monday.
Johnson entered the 2015 campaign as a starter and one of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's favorite targets in the preseason, but a rib injury in Week 3 derailed his season. He missed the next two games and caught just three passes the rest of the season.
Johnson was last targeted in Week 9 and spent the last four Sundays of the season inactive.
"I'm still able to play. It was nothing I really did. It was just unfortunate circumstances," Johnson added.
Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said "It came down to a numbers game a little bit. [Stefon] Diggs came in and had a big role. I wanted to dress more guys on defense."
Once Johnson went down, rookie wide receiver Diggs emerged as a standout in the Vikings offense. Diggs racked up 216 receiving yards in Johnson's two-week absence and took over the starting role for the rest of the season.
Johnson reminded the Vikings coaching staff what he was capable of by pulling down a big 35-yard catch in Week 8 against Chicago to set up the game-winning field goal. That wasn't enough to get back on the field regularly, though.
"They were were flowing and I just went in there and made a play and we won a game, it was really nothing," Johnson said.
