When the Buccaneers released defensive end Michael Johnson last week, speculation about his next stop focused on the Vikings and Bengals.
That speculation appears to be on the right track. Johnson’s first visit was with the Bengals and coach Mike Zimmer, who was Johnson’s defensive coordinator when both men were in Cincinnati. The Vikings were apparently ready to strike a deal, but Johnson still wanted to take another visit.
Johnson told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press that Zimmer “didn’t want me to get on the plane,” but Johnson travelled to Cincinnati on Saturday to meet with the Bengals anyway. Johnson said that the Vikings made a good offer, but that he wanted to honor the commitment to visit the Bengals before making his decision.
“No lie. Before it all started, I thought, ‘OK, I’m probably going back to Cincinnati.’ There’s going to be some tears shed at the end of the day about my decision. It’s going to be hard,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s agent and former Bengals defensive lineman John Thornton told Geoff Hobson of the Bengals website that he expected Johnson to settle on a home for the 2015 season by Monday.
