Johnson recorded 9.0, 12.5, 11.0, and 8.5 over the 2011–2014 seasons, 11th in the NFL over that time period. He had two sacks in the Panthers' first 2014 playoff game against Arizona. On September 29, 2015, he was placed on injured reserve, and missed five games. However, he returned on November 24, 2015. On February 7, 2016, Johnson was part of the Panthers team that played in Super Bowl 50. In the game, the Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 24–10. He had five tackles and a sack in the losing effort, matching the one sack he had in both previous playoff games. His five career playoff sacks is a Panthers franchise record, and his three that year shares a single-postseason record with Kony Ealy.