RB Johnson wants out of Kansas City

Published: Feb 04, 2009 at 11:05 AM

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, fresh off a problem-plagued season, said he wants to leave Kansas City.

Speaking Wednesday morning on 610 Sports Radio, Johnson said he thinks it's time for him and the Chiefs to "break ties."

"They can go on and find what they want. And I can try to go on and rebuild my career and find what I want," Johnson said.

Chiefs spokesman Bob Moore said there was nothing that came out of the interview that hadn't been talked about before. Johnson, who has spent his six-year career in Kansas City, said in December that he felt he had no future with the Chiefs.

"Larry Johnson is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs under contract with the Kansas City Chiefs," Moore said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday night. "Nothing said about this matter has changed that fact in any way."

Johnson could not be reached for comment through his agent because he doesn't have one.

During the past season, Johnson was benched for three games for violating team rules and suspended by the league for a fourth game for violating NFL player conduct rules. He also faces a March trial date on charges that he pushed one woman at a bar and spit drinks at another woman.

Johnson said Wednesday he was told he would get most of the carries when he signed a long-term, $45 million deal with the Chiefs before the 2007 season. But he said he is unhappy with his diminished role in the shotgun offense.

Johnson also expressed concern about his role as the Chiefs are overhauled after going 2-23 in their last 25 games.

"I'd rather just, you know, play somewhere else, because like I said, you know, this is a rebuilding team, you know, and I don't really think I belong in this rebuilding team," Johnson said.

"This is the way the league works, you know. I've done what I've done for Kansas City, and I'm not getting any younger and the team is getting a lot younger, so I'm not sure I fit in the scheme of things."

Johnson is from State College, Pa., and played football there at Penn State. He said he would prefer to play somewhere on the East Coast so he could be closer to his family.

But he'd also like to play for Dallas, he said, noting that his mother is a Cowboys fan.

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