DaytonDailyNews.com

CINCINNATI — At least one of Chad Johnson's teammates will welcome him back with open arms.

Bengals defensive end Frostee Rucker was excited to hear Johnson is planning a return to the team he wanted to leave.

"Besides (quarterback) Carson Palmer, Chad is the face of this program," Rucker said Tuesday night, June 3. "I'm sure as much as everyone likes to hate on him, they're thrilled to hear that he is coming back no matter what the circumstances are."

"Ocho Cinco" stirred up mucho controversy on Tuesday.

As the guest editor-in-chief of ESPN The Magazine's second annual "Revenge of the Jocks" issue — which hits newsstands this week — Johnson wrote:

"Am I coming back? Of course I am. I told my coaches I'm going to California to act, but the truth is I may come back to the Bengals as early as June. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid."

But the comeback story took a twist during Johnson's interview on SIRIUS Satellite Radio when he claimed he may sit out after all since his trade demand fell through.

"My options are open," Johnson said. "I have so much going on off the field right now. Man, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful thing. God has really blessed me to be able to do other things. Football doesn't have to be my backbone. Football is my bread and butter, but with my success and with me being able to venture into other things, the possibility of not playing this year is really open. It really is."

That doesn't mean Johnson has lost his passion for the game.

"I just love what I do," he told the radio hosts. "I have a passion for it, and sometimes that passion hurts me, and sometimes that passion hurts my team. I've always been a winner, and it's been mistaken. Because of my style of play, it's been taken out of context as me not wanting to win.

"I have no problem with Cincinnati. I love the city. The fans are great. You know what's funny? I know how the fans have felt for (all) those years of losing. That's how I'm feeling right now. I feel it, and I see where it's going. It's going back to that same old 'Bungles' or whatever it used to be."

The Bengals had little to say about Johnson's words. "We are going to decline comment on his remarks," Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said. "We'll just move on from there and hopefully he speaks the truth."

Johnson will have to play in order to get paid his $3 million base salary in 2008.

"I don't have a problem with Chad," Rucker said. "From my perspective, he works really hard and is a real competitor. He just loves to win. I hope he comes back with a positive outlook and is ready to work, because we're all working here. It would be great to see him snagging passes from No. 9 (Palmer)."

'Chad' Controversy

Due to make $3 million (2008), $4.5 million (2009), $5 million (2010) and $6 million (2011), but he must play to get paid.

Club can fine him $1,700 per day for missing mandatory minicamp (June 12-14), and $14,000 for every missed day of training camp.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com

Vote for this story!