When the Houston Texans made the blockbuster trade to send superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, David Johnson was relatively forgotten. Fans simply looked at Johnson as an often-injured running back who simply was a throw-in in the trade. That is not the case by any stretch for the Texans.

Over the last few years, the Texans have been working hard to find a consistent threat on the ground. Carlos Hyde was solid last season, but the franchise wanted more playmaking behind Deshaun Watson.

Enter Johnson, who just a few years ago was considered one of the top running backs in the entire NFL.

Johnson has struggled to stay healthy in recent years. Even when he has been healthy, he has not lived up to the hype from his first two seasons with the Cardinals. Despite that, the Texans should be expecting the best version of Johnson this year.

In a recent interview, Johnson talked about a major goal that he has for the 2020 season with the Texans. He wants to be and is confident that he can be a 1,000-yard rusher and receiver for his new team.

“They’re getting a guy who’s going to always work hard. They never have to worry about me off the field. … They’re going to get a guy who’s dedicated to the team and really dedicated to proving everyone wrong. I’m still striving to get that 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.”

All of that being said, his first chance to prove himself with the Texans comes in Week 1 against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. No one is giving the Texans much of a chance to win that game, but a big game from David Johnson could make things interesting.

Let’s take a look at why Johnson is such a huge X-Factor for Houston this week against the Chiefs.