The connection with Carr got to the point during camp that beat writers were openly pondering whether the Saints were intentionally not targeting Johnson during practices to get others involved.
Johnson came on strong last season, with seven of his TDs coming in a seven-game stretch. The question is whether he’ll see enough targets to really break out.
The Saints’ plan to spread the ball around could curtail Johnson’s upside in 2023 — especially if wideout Michael Thomas remains healthy. However, the talent is there for Johnson to be a difference-maker.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old isn’t fretting with individual results.
“Honestly, a breakout is whatever you make it,” he said. “Everybody has their own sort of ‘breakout,’ what it means. I could say yes, or whatever, but at the end of the day, if I have one what does it matter if we don’t win? Because at the end of the day, that’s why we’re here.
“That’s why D.A. (head coach Dennis Allen) put this team together, that’s why Derek is here, that’s why Mike T. is back, so we can have sort of a breakout team, so we can win. So we can have another division title, so we can clinch that No. 1 seed, so we can win the Super Bowl.
“So I can say I want to have a breakout season. Who doesn’t? At the end of the day, I’m tired of going home after the last game, watching teams that I know we beat, or we could have beaten, or we’re better than who are in the playoffs.”