Rudi Johnson Released From Bengals, Presumably For Good Behavior

You KNOW you're washed up when even the Bengals don't want you around anymore. Such is the case with Rudi Johnson, the tough Bengals running back whom you could pencil in for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns each season. At least that was the case before the franchise ran him into the ground. Last season, Johnson finally started to break down. Those injuries never properly healed, and now Cincinnati has asked Rudi for his playbook.

His agent, Peter Schaffer, confirmed that the Bengals notified him that his client will no longer be with the team. Johnson was in the fourth year of a five-year, $20.7 million contract. Hamstring problems bothered him this summer, and injuries have been a concern for the past couple years. Johnson came to minicamp in incredible shape. He added muscle and lost body fat.

So if you burned an early-round pick to snag Johnson in your fantasy league, consider yourself fucked, and add the Bengals to the growing list of teams that will use multiple running backs this season. Chris Perry will step into the starting job, but DeDe Dorsey and Kenny Watson will be challenging for carries. It's truly the end of an era in Cincinnati. Well, maybe more like a mini-era. Bengals cut oft-injured Johnson, Perry to start [ESPN.com]