The Bengals will re-sign defensive end Michael Johnson after releasing him on Saturday, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. It’s a one-year deal for Johnson, who was not forced to accept a pay cut from his previous salary.
Johnson had been a Bengals starter in five of the past six seasons, but third-round selections of Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson last year — along with 2018 third-rounder Sam Hubbard — made the 31-year-old talent a less important commodity. Johnson registered five sacks last season and has 44 in his career.
Now that he’s back in the fold, Johnson is likely to see action at both defensive end and tackle, the latter in nickel situations.