When the 2013 offseason commenced, the Bengals had quite the "to-do list". A number of their valuable players were set to hit the free agent market, none bigger than offensive tackle Andre Smith and defensive end Michael Johnson. Though they reached a long-term agreement with Smith, negotiations for a long-term contract fell through with Johnson, they were able to place the franchise tag on him to secure him for the 2013 season.
Now, the window to reach a long-term agreement with Johnson is closing and it doesn't look as if a big contract agreement will be reached. On Tuesday, Johnson joined Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon on SiriusXM NFL radio to discuss the Bengals and his contract situation.
As you may have expected, Johnson played coy and remained political when asked about his contract situation.
#Bengals DE Michael Johnson: I'm going to play out the season no matter what my contract situation is...can't worry about it. #SXMSports
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 9, 2013
#Bengals DE Michael Johnson: My goal is to help this team win games...I can't put a percentage if I'm back w/ the team next year. #SXMSports
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) July 9, 2013
If the Bengals so choose, they can slap the tag on Johnson again next year, though the cost to keep him him would increase substantially. Beyond that, the Bengals will be facing another critical offseason because the contracts for defensive end Carlos Dunlap and defensive tackle Geno Atkins will also be expiring.