Bears DT Johnson meets with NFL commissioner to discuss behavior

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson, left, enters Cook County Court accompanied by Bears head coach Lovie Smith, right, in Skokie, Ill., in this March, 15, 2007, file photo. Johnson is scheduled to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesa The Associated Press

AP

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson, left, enters Cook County Court accompanied by Bears head coach Lovie Smith, right, in Skokie, Ill., in this March, 15, 2007, file photo. Johnson is scheduled to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesa The Associated Press

By The Associated Press

CHICAGO – Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday to discuss legal problems that landed the player in jail, but no discipline was immediately handed down by the league.

The meeting in New York came three days after Johnson was released from the Cook County Jail, where he served 60 days of a 120-day sentence for violating probation on a weapons charge.

NFL spokesman Randall Liu said the meeting took place at an undisclosed location. He said he did not know how long the meeting lasted, who else attended or other details.

Liu said he did not know when Goodell would make a decision on whether to suspend Johnson.

Bears spokesman Scott Hagel also did not have any details about the meeting. He said the Bears will hold a mandatory minicamp starting Friday and Johnson is expected to participate.

Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!

  • Catch the latest on University of Illinois news, sports, and more. Delivered every weekday.
  • Stay up to date on all things Illini sports. Delivered every Monday.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Thank you for subscribing!

Bears coach Lovie Smith, who was attending the Yankees-White Sox game, was asked if Johnson will be at the minicamp.

“We’ll see,” was all Smith would say.

Johnson could become the third player suspended by Goodell in a little more than a month for off-field behavior. In April, Goodell suspended Tennessee Titans defensive back Adam “Pacman” Jones for the entire 2007 season, and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry for eight games before introducing a strengthened personal conduct policy.

Last week, Goodell heard an appeal from Jones over the length of his suspension. Jones has been questioned by police 10 times since being drafted in 2005.

In December, police raided Johnson’s Gurnee home and found six unregistered firearms – a violation of his probation on an earlier gun charge.

That charge stemmed from Johnson’s 2005 arrest after a Chicago nightclub valet reported seeing Johnson with a handgun in his SUV. He subsequently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

Two days after the raid in Gurnee, Willie B. Posey, Johnson’s bodyguard who had been arrested after the raid, was shot and killed in an early morning fight while he and Johnson were at a Chicago nightclub.

Johnson was suspended by the Bears for one game for being at the club.

In March, Johnson began his jail term for violating his probation. Last month, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge as part of a deal with prosecutors that kept him from serving more time in jail. He was ordered to serve 45 days, which he was able to serve concurrently with the sentence for violating his probation.