As the dust settles on the short courtship of a player who several years ago wanted to play for anyone but the Bengals, receiver Chad Ochocinco ultimately wanted to play for no one but the Dolphins.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, only one team was actively chasing Chad, in large part because the Dolphins were his first choice, by a wide margin.
Though he undoubtedly saw the benefits to his brand of being back on HBO’s Hard Knocks and the convenience of living in his hometown of Miami, there’s another twist to the move. Chad will get to return this year to both cities where he previously played.
On October 7, Chad will return to Cincinnati -- a month before former Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer re-enters the place he reportedly claimed last year that he’d never again set foot.
And twice in the month of December, Chad will get re-acquainted with his most recent team, facing the Patriots in Miami on December 2 and going back to Gillette Stadium on December 30.
But Chad perhaps should be more concerned about Week Three and Week Eight, when the Dolphins face the Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis, who routinely has gotten the better of their head-to-head duels.
Of course, merely having the ability to be shut down once again by Revis would be good news for Ochocinco. It would mean that he made it onto the roster. And that he’s regarded as the best receiver the team has.
Before that comes to pass, a lot of things will need to happen. For starters, Chad will need to perform much better than he did during his time in New England.