Chad Johnson wasn't with the Dolphins very long, but his teammates had already become huge fans.
Miami linebacker Karlos Dansby is among Johnson's biggest supporters, and he made it clear that he's upset about the receiver being released following his arrest.
"It's going to be an even bigger distraction right now, I think, because of the simple fact we let him go," Dansby said. "I think if we were going to be with the guy, if he was going to be our guy, we have to stand behind him — even though the situation came about. He didn't get that third strike."
Johnson is a polarizing figure to say the least. While his tenure in New England last season was fairly tame (both on the field and off the field), he'll always be under a microscope because of his questionable actions in the past. If you ask Dansby, however, those actions were just part of good-natured fun.
"He may clown around but when it comes to football, he's all about football," Dansby said. "That's his life. For him to be in this situation, that's unfortunate. And it's out of character."
Dansby also said that it's "tough to lose a good man," again showing the respect Johnson earned in the locker room during his brief stay. In fact, that respect has Dansby wondering why the Dolphins didn't do more to back their teammate.
"I hate that we didn't stand behind him," Dansby said. "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 will now have to impress a different set of teammates, assuming he finds work.
