Receiver Chad Johnson finally has found a suitor. Now, he simply needs governmental clearance to consummate the deal.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS, the Montreal Alouettes continues to wait for word on whether Johnson will be given the appropriate permit to work in Canada. The team could get final word within the next 7-10 days.
If Johnson can’t get a permit, Johnson can’t play in Canada. And if he can’t play in Canada, he can’t play anywhere.
Unless he wants to play in the Arena Football League.
Johnson last played in a pro football game that counts more than two years ago, as a member of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. He was cut by the Dolphins during 2012 training camp after being arrested for assaulting his wife. He pleaded no contest to the charges.
And that could be what ultimately keeps Johnson out of Canada. People with criminal records routinely are blocked from securing permission to work in Canada. Johnson could circumvent the banishment by proving that he has been rehabilitated, among other potential exceptions.