GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- As the Bengals’ Monday morning practice concluded, Chad Johnson approached several members of the team’s secondary and said, “85 is back.”
He was back at practice, that’s for sure. If his feet looked a step or two behind following June ankle surgery, his mouth was at full speed.
Johnson spent much of the practice mouthing with safety Dexter Jackson, but sprinted by members of the local media without any noticeable limp. He declined comment as second time when approached by the media when he exited the training room.
“We’re working him slow. He’s got some things to work on,” offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. “When you’ve been away from it, playing the real game out here is different than the rehab he’s been doing. He’s got a good start out of it. We’re going to work him in slowly, bring him along a little at a time.”
Johnson participated with the first team and at the end of practice caught a long pass from Carson Palmer over Leon Hall.
“He looked good, he’s got a lot of work to do to get back in shape and just get ready for the long season ahead of him,” Palmer said. “It’s always good to get your returning starters, especially one of the best players on the team, get him working and get ready for the season.”
Bratkowski said it was possible that Johnson could participate in Monday’s preseason opener at Green Bay.
Fellow receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was still out with a “sore leg.”
“It’s just very much preventative,” Bratkowski said. “We want to make sure we don’t rush him back out and put him in the position where it’s a long-term thing and can effect opening day.”
However, running back Kenny Watson was back at practice after missing several days with an undisclosed injury.
“Both of us have been there working, trying to get back,” Watson said of Johnson. “We were checking on each other, making sure we were OK. It’s good to be back playing with my teammates. I think they know I can go and they’re ready to ease me in. I’m ready to jump right away. They hid my helmet from me.”
Johnson couldn’t hide -- all eyes were focused on him and every move during the two-hour practice. After his tumultuous off-season that included several trade demands, an bizarre showing at the team’s mandatory mini-camp and eventual surgery on both ankles in June, Johnson reported to camp on time, but hadn’t practice with his teammates until Monday – missing a total of nine practices, including Friday’s scrimmage and Saturday’s mock game.
“It’s good to have our guys back,” Palmer said. “He looked good, just has a lot of work to do, a lot of cleaning up to do. He’ll get better and better as camp goes on.”
Bratkowski is expecting even more than that.
"They've told us he'll be better than he was last year, physically,"
Bratkowski said. "That was bothering him last year. It was an issue, as
soon as he gets healed and the strength and flexibility back, he'll be
fine."
