The stalemate between running back Chris Johnson and his team, the Tennessee Titans, has been going on for some time; and we’ve all watched as Johnson demanded more and the Titans refused to give it to him. Even a meeting last week did little to speed things along and get anything down in ink. But now, hope may be on the horizon and some say, Johnson could be back playing for the Titans as early as this weekend.

The weekend may actually be a bit early. The Titans’ NFL season opener is still eleven days away after all, and most experts and analysts agree that it will at least take a few games into the regular season to sort it out. But talk has begun with a meeting held between Johnson, his agent Joel Segal, and Titans execs being held yesterday. The Titans now have a firm offer of what they’re willing to give Johnson, but the problem seems to be on Johnson’s end. He needs to realize that he’s a running back and that as far as that position goes, the offer on the table is the best any RB has ever been offered.

The Titans have said that they’ll make Johnson the highest-paid RB in the league, and that they’re willing to give him $10 to $11 million with $1.065 million being offered this year. The remainder would then be paid out next year after which, he’d be free to leave the team and play for anyone he cares for. Of course the question remains whether or not, with the short career span of football players, Johnson will still be playing, or still worth that money, at that time.

So nothing is firmed up just yet and yes, hoping to see Johnston playing for the Titans this weekend is probably a bit optimistic. Still, talks do seem to be bringing things closer and it looks as though it might just be a matter of weeks before we see the Titans’ best player return to the field.