Will Dolphins Cut Chad Johnson Before Training Camp Ends Following Uncharacteristic Arrest?

Chad Johnson is a lot of things. He is charismatic, flamboyant, outgoing, cocky, showy and often outspoken. But for whatever he is, and although many people dislike him for many of his character flaws, Johnson is not a trouble maker off of the field. He is not a drinker, he does not do drugs, and he has never owned a weapon. But last night, he did something that was uncharacteristic for Johnson. In fact, he did something that he had never done before during the time of his 12 year NFL career, which may actually surprise some fans.

The Miami Dolphins newest wide receiver was arrested for a misdemeanor domestic abuse charge following an incident with his new bride, Evelyn Lozada, who accused Johnson of head-butting her while in the middle of a heated dispute. Reportedly, that dispute stemmed from Johnson having a receipt for a box of condoms that was discovered by Lozada.

Regardless of what started the argument, Johnson may be the one who pays the ultimate price from a professional standpoint.

In all likelihood, Johnson will not make it out of Dolphins training camp when they break for the start of the 2012 regular season. He was a bit of an enigma in terms of whether or not he had a great chance of making the opening season roster, especially where his numbers took a drastic decrease with the New England Patriots last season. I have said all along that Miami strictly signed Johnson to help bring in some fans and media attention, especially with HBO selecting the Dolphins as the featured team on Hard Knocks this season.

And now, it appears as if I was right, and Miami may only keep Johnson around for another week or two while they “look into” the situation of the domestic dispute. After all, the cameras from Hard Knocks are still going to be around for a few more weeks. In between showing shots of Ryan Tannehill and his wife, Lauren, HBO will need someone to focus one throughout the preseason.

But Johnson may not even make it that long.

Head coach Joe Philbin basically said that if Johnson does not clean up his act – and especially his language – it could lead to his release from the team, regardless of how he performs on the field. Philbin is part of a new regime in South Beach, and he at least wants to start things off the right way in terms of image.

Johnson is looking like he may not be a part of what Philbin is looking for his Dolphins to portray.

Now granted, his career on the field is not the only things that Johnson has to worry about going forward. If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, though he could also receive community service, probation or anger management classes. It will most likely not result in a jail sentence, but it could end his NFL career for good.

This is certainly bad news for Johnson, who, ironically enough, joked during an episode of Hard Knocks that he promised he would get arrested during an of day of training camp for Miami.

It turns out he wasn’t entirely kidding. He just had the date of his arrest incorrect.