Larry Johnson signs with Redskins

Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Larry Johnson signs three-year deal with Washington Redskins

Free agent running back Larry Johnson will not return to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2010 season after signing a three-year deal with the Washington Redskins. The deal is expected to be worth up to $12 million and he will play alongside Clinton Portis to provide Washington a dynamic 1-2 punch at running back.

Johnson was released from the Chiefs in the middle of last season following remarks made on his Twitter account regarding head coach Todd Haley. Less than a week after his release, he was signed by the Bengals for insurance purposes after running back Cedric Benson suffered a hip injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10.

Despite rushing for 107 yards in just his second game with Cincinnati against the Cleveland Browns, Johnson saw little time at running back once Benson returned to full strength.

While there was excitement for bringing in a player who rushed for a combined 3,539 yards and 37 touchdowns from 2005-06, it seemed highly unlikely for Johnson to return to the Bengals considering their situation at running back. The team seemed committed to Benson, Bernard Scott, and third-down specialist Brian Leonard at running back, and Johnson knew he could fight for starting time with a handful of other teams.

Now, he joins a Washington squad in need of help in the running game. After finishing 27th last season, the Redskins hope the addition of Johnson along with a healthy Portis can improve a running game that averaged just 94.4 yards per game in 2009.