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."
"We were pretty efficient with the first group early. I thought Carson and the first group was real efficient early. Too many turnovers by the second, third and fourth quarterbacks. That’s the one thing that was most disappointing. There were some good things. It’s one small step in determining where we’re at."
"This was basically two-hand touch where last night was real, so we’ll get another look at it in the Green Bay game."
"It’s one of those things we’ll determine over time. It’s not one thing is not going to make the determining factor. As we get to the end of the preseason, the time they’ve logged in preseason games, the things they’ve done throughout camp is going to be the determining factor over time."
On Chad Johnson's return next week: "We’re not nearly at the point now where it’s in dire need to have them back, there’s still plenty of time for veterans like Chad who have been around long enough to get their game right by the opener. If he is back, the trainers and everyone think he’s healthy enough to do that."
From Marvin Lewis, who missed most of the game because of a personal matter.
On Keith Rivers: "Keith’s missing some time, but I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. When he gets here, he’ll get here."
Offensive line coach/associate head coach Paul Alexander
"Yesterday was shocking because all week the running game looked as good as it has and then we come out here yesterday and I think they maybe thought… You know how it is. I think that’s what happened yesterday. They got an earful, they’ve got a lot of work to do next week. The rookies are scared to death, the older guys know it is what it is."
From Carson Palmer
"There’s a new excitement on that side of the ball, they know what they’re doing it, why they’re getting harped on, why they’re getting yelled at, why it’s so intense on that side of the ball. That’s fun for us to see as an offense, it motivates us, it’s great competition for us, going against a young defense that comes out to win every play."
"This is an opportunity. If the commissioner comes and you don’t have questions and then he leaves and you do have questions, that’s your fault. You prepare yourself knowing this is your chance to ask any questions you’ve ever wanted to ask. Everyone sits in front of the computer, everyone reads different internet sites and they say why do you do that? Everyone listens to ESPN, everyone watches the NFL Network and asks why do you do that? If you have a question, now it’s your chance. He’s not opposed to answering confrontational questions or just plain, simple questions. He’s very open and honest, very knowledgeable. He’s been in the throws of the NFL for 27 years, so there’s not much he hasn’t seen. He’s well-versed and so if you have a couple of questions, ask him. I had some questions, so I asked them."
