| Next Feb. 16, Redskins QB Brad Johnson could
become a very wealthy man. Why is that? Because that is the date the 2001 free-agent
signing period begins. Johnson and his agent have announced that they will no longer
entertain proposals from the Redskins on a contract extension. That means Johnson is set
to become an unrestricted free agent. And in a league that rarely sees an elite
quarterback hit the open market, Johnson will undoubtedly attract the interest of several
teams willing to hand over big bucks.
Johnson’s reasoning is that it’s time to concentrate on football, not
dollars. There will be plenty of time to think about his next contract after the season.
"I want to be a Redskin, but we’re at a point now it’s got to be
strictly football," said Johnson. "We don’t want to put this any further
into the season. It hasn’t been a distraction for me, but this is something that will
be a decision next spring, and that’s kind of the best way to leave it."
Ultimately, what this means is the Redskins, a legitimate championship contender, are
making a Super Bowl run with a lame-duck quarterback.
No matter how far this team goes this season, I’m betting Johnson will be wearing
a different team’s jersey next fall. And the reasons for this are many.
First, if the Redskins’ front office — and that means owner Daniel Snyder and
director of player personnel Vinny Cerrato — really was convinced that Johnson
was the answer, they would not have signed Jeff George to a four-year contract.
Snyder has been just chomping at the bit to see George on the field. He’s not a
big Johnson fan, and Johnson knows this.
Furthermore, if the Redskins fail to win it all this year, don’t be surprised if
head coach Norv Turner is ousted. Turner is Johnson’s biggest ally, and if his head
coach is no longer in Washington next year, there is little chance that Johnson will want
to remain a Redskin.
Now, if the Skins have a change of heart and decide they want to retain Johnson, they
do have the option of franchising him. That seems very unlikely, though, because they may
not have the salary-cap room to commit roughly $6 million to their quarterback.
Johnson is wise to put off further talks with the Skins, although I suspect the
announcement was moot. I don’t believe there were going to be any serious offers
coming from Snyder and Cerrato anyway. Johnson can now do what he needs to do, and that is
focus on football.
And then come next February, Johnson will be able to weigh several lucrative offers.
Perhaps even more importantly for Johnson, he will be going to a team that truly wants him
to be its quarterback. |
