BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Poor Chad Johnson. Bill Belichick came from the clouds Wednesday to roast the former New England Patriots wide receiver.
Belichick was asked Wednesday in the lead up to the Patriots’ Super Bowl LII showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles about his connection to Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown. Belichick was discussing trades he had made with the Bengals, when he delivered this gem:
“Being able to work something out with another organization for the right player and price, both organizations feel good about, and some of those have worked out, maybe a little better for one side or the other,” Belichick said. “Certainly, Mike got the best of the Chad Johnson trade. Still waiting on payback for that one. That’s coming.”
Ouch.
The Patriots sent fifth- and sixth-round picks to the Bengals for Johnson. The Bengals drafted wide receivers Marvin Jones and Cobi Hamilton. Jones has gone on to become a 1,000-yard receiver in the NFL, while Johnson caught just 15 passes for 276 yards with one touchdown in 2011, his only season with the Patriots. The Oregon State product caught just one pass for 21 yards in the 2011 playoffs.
The Patriots acquired linebacker Marquis Flowers from the Bengals for a seventh-round pick in August. Flowers has been a strong contributor on special teams and defense this season. They also snagged running back Corey Dillon from the Bengals for a second-round pick back in 2004. So, there have been wins and losses for the Patriots in trades with the Bengals throughout the years.