Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals plays guest editor in Wednesday’s edition of ESPN the Magazine and puts to rest any thoughts of him suiting up for another team. The man that many thought would never set foot on the field in Cincy again says he could be back as early as next week’s minicamp.
From ESPN the Magazine via The Enquirer:
“Am I coming back? Of course I am. I told my coaches I’m going to California to act, but the truth is I may come back to the Bengals as early as June,” Johnson writes. “I may be crazy but I’m not stupid.”
Sounds good. But please believe, Chad’s only doing this to avoid being fined. He could lose up to $800,000 if he no-shows according to the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, so he has to play nice while still wanting out of the Nati. Here’s some examples of Ocho Cinco towing the company line from the ESPN the Mag article.
“If we want to be like Indy and New England, we have to pay for difference-makers on defense. Our offense is fine. But if they’re fussing about paying me, a guy among the league’s best, you know damn well the Bengals aren’t (going to) give the defense what it needs. So I just said, `If we aren’t (going to) do what we need to do to win, can I please leave?’ It’s simple. I just told (them): `If y’all won’t change then I have to.’”
“Management told me I had a bad year. I was asked to stop being me. Okay, but how does that work? I am what some people would say is the face of Cincinnati.”
“If I can get out of Cincinnati, the sky’s the limit. What could I do in a place like Philadelphia or Dallas? It would be ridiculous. It’s (going to) be like a whole new me, like Ocho Cinco 2.0. Yeah, I like that. Ocho Cinco 2.0.”
I’m a Chad Johnson fan so I’m hoping he shows up at Cincinnati’s minicamp and acts like a professional. Everybody knows he wants out so there’s no reason to poison the locker room with his personal beef. All he needs to do is show up, work hard, and let Drew Rosenhaus work something out.. Like Chad Johnson to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Chad: I’m coming back. Courtesy of The Enquirer
