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[T-post Tom]

The Busine$$ of Football

By Andrew Brandt

Posted February 5, 2009
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In trying to get out before the door slams behind him, old friend Larry Johnson is on record saying he wants out of Kansas City. His disdain has now surfaced for the team that decided 17 months ago to lavish him with a contract worth $43M and an astounding $19M guaranteed – $12M in a bonus and another $7M in guaranteed salary. The Chiefs did the contract while Johnson held out of training camp and violated three sacred rules in negotiating contracts: (1) rewarding a player who was breaching his current contract by holding out; (2) paying top-of-the-market money to a running back about to hit the dangerous age of 28 and over; and (3) rewarding a player who was known to have some character issues (which have surfaced since the signing).

Now Johnson, with a new administration coming into Kansas City — one that did not overpay him and reward his insolence — says he wants out. Johnson just completed a season in which he was benched for three games for violating team rules and suspended by the league for a fourth game for violating NFL player conduct rules. He is due $4.55M in 2009 – when he will turn 30 — with increasing numbers in subsequent years. He wants to make a “clean break” from the Chiefs.

So an overpaid and aging running back with character issues who has, in the past 18 months, held out of training camp and been suspended for violating league and team rules wants to be removed from the team. The Chiefs have to be privately thanking their lucky stars, wondering where do they sign up?

Johnson believes he probably won’t be a Chief come training camp. You think?