Cincinnati Bengals Sign Larry Johnson

This seemed like a perfect match. A malcontent running back with a criminal record and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals signed running back Larry Johnson—released by the Kansas City Chiefs last week because he was more trouble than he was worth—to a short-term deal that runs through the end of this season. Details of the contract were not available yet.

Larry Johnson signed by Cincinnati Bengals / Image: Zuma Press

I figured the only other team that would even take a look at this guy would be the Oakland Raiders. The Bengals might be playing better football, but they still make some very questionable decisions when it comes to the character of the players they involve themselves with. It’s almost as though that aspect isn’t even a consideration.

Nevertheless, Larry might bring some needed depth at the running back position. Cedric Benson left Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a sore abductor muscle. His status for this weekend is still up-in-the-air. Backup rookie running back Bernard Scott was a training camp phenom and performed very well in Ced’s absence. Plus there’s hard-nosed running back who looks like a fullback Brian Leonard. So, I’m not really sure where Larry fits in, but if he can keep his mouth shut (and his Twitter under control) and let his game do the talking, the Bengals will have a very solid group of runners in their offensive backfield.

Source: Bengals.com