I’m all for standing up to players but I’m not sure the Bengals are handling the Chad Johnson situation very well. I tend to mess up these well-known old sayings, but I think what Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis are doing is called cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Sorry, but if a team is willing to offer a first-round pick and a future pick that could be a first rounder for a player that doesn’t want to play for me anymore I have to pack my stubborn, teach-him-a-lesson feelings away and take the deal. That’s a lot, especially for a guy who seems hell bent on getting his way.

If the Bengals maintain their current stance, what’s the best that happens? Maybe Johnson is a man of his word and sits out. Maybe he plays, but isn’t happy. Either way, I don’t think he’ll be helping the Bengals become a better team. That ship has sailed (another good ol’ saying I think I got right!).

The Bengals need to take the picks, cut ties with Johnson and move on. He’s very good. He’ll be missed in the offense. It stinks for Bengals fans. But it’s the reality of the situation.