It’s a good thing Larry Johnson’s suspension came during Kansas City’s bye week, because it’s taking up a lot of the team’s time .
Johnson is planning to file his appeal regarding the suspension Friday, according to ESPN. Meanwhile, the Chiefs and Johnson are hoping to solve their differences without a hearing.
Johnson’s agent Peter Schaffer told the Kansas City Star that the two sides are working on a settlement that would help decide Johnson’s future. Asked whether that settlement would mean Johnson was heading elsewhere, Schaffer said “not necessarily.”
A potential hearing would occur on Tuesday.
“The best-case scenario is we find a way to keep it positive,” Schaffer said. “There’s a lot of things in play, and nothing has been decided.”
The current leadership of the Chiefs and Johnson have put off-field wrangling behind them before. The team won a grievance in April that decided Johnson’s salary for 2009 would no longer be guaranteed. The Chiefs chose to keep him anyway after a positive offseason.
Johnson is currently set to miss one game, but two checks. (Players are paid 1/17th of their yearly salary during the bye week.) Mike Florio points out from the road to NYC that a settlement could possibly allow Johnson to get back one week of his salary, but still serve a one game suspension.
It’s probably not safe to assume any outcome regarding Johnson’s future, because the principal parties involved likely don’t know how this will turn out yet.
