It has been fun to see all of the tweets and stories out there about Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. It looks like these guys for some mysterious reason are trying to get themselves back involved with the franchise. Housh even endorsed Tee Higgins to the Bengals before the draft and it sounds like he has been working with him after the college season. Chad wants to work with the receivers and you even see people clamoring for him to take over as the WR Coach.
I really like seeing these Bengals of old coming out of the woodwork and re-involving themselves with the team. I think it does raise some eyebrows on a few things though. First, I think Marvin Lewis kept these guys away for a while and did not want them to be around a team that had to change identities several times. It is no big secret that Chad and Marvin didn’t always get along. Housh ended his career bouncing around three teams (Seattle, Baltimore and Oakland) but was always a Bengal to us. Zac Taylor must be a breadth of fresh air for these guys because there is no history, there is no drama and it is clear they are still Bengals fans.
Second, I think that these guys see something really good being built. They are on the Burrow train and know that wide receivers are going to thrive with him. Why wouldn’t they want to get closer access, associate with the new winning culture and try to put a stamp on the team by helping guys like Tyler Boyd, John Ross and Tee Higgins. If they get close enough they might even get a Super Bowl ring out of the deal, not a player ring but certainly a team ring.
Lastly, I think that these guys miss the game and see that the league is wide receiver hungry. Passing has overtaken running and high flying offenses are here to stay for a while. Heck maybe these guys are vying for a Ring of Honor spot that they undoubtedly deserve one day. Whatever the reason is, it’s nice to see them flying the flag and donning the stripes. Welcome back fellas, we missed you!