The Miami Dolphins were swift in their action against wide receiver Chad Johnson, releasing the 34-year-old within 24 hours of his recent arrest.
But at least one of Johnson’s ex-teammates, linebacker and leader on defence Karlos Dansby, believes the Dolphins should have been more loyal to the man formerly known as "Ochocinco."
"I hate that we didn’t stand behind him,” Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby told the Sid Rosenberg Show on WMEN-AM on Monday via NFL.com. “I know the guys in the locker room would. But the organization felt a totally different way about the situation, and they probably had more information than we know. And they had to do what they had to do.”
Johnson was arrested in Miami Saturday night after allegedly head butting his new wife Evelyn Lazoda during an argument in front of their home.
Miami coach Joe Philbin says there wasn’t any one incident that caused the team to release Johnson; the six-time Pro Bowler simply wasn’t a good fit with the Dolphins.
Dansby said the release of Johnson could cause a bigger distraction to the team than if they had of kept the former Bengal on the roster. Dansby added he thought Johnson deserved another chance.
On Monday, VH1 pulled the couple’s show, "Ev and Ocho" from its lineup and have no plans on airing any of the show’s eleven episodes.
Johnson had the worst season of his career with the New England Patriots in 2011, recording 15 receptions, 276 yards and one touchdown.
