If Chiefs are smart, they'll dump Johnson and move on

Maybe it's a coincidence that Tennessee is undefeated without serial troublemaker Jones, and maybe it's a coincidence it made the playoffs a year ago with him sidelined for the season. All I know is the Titans did the right thing jettisoning a problem, and Dallas was wrong to think it could rehabilitate him.

Now it's Kansas City that must figure things out, and that process already has begun at quarterback. The Chiefs will draft one to succeed the injured Brodie Croyle, and, hopefully, find themselves a future starter.

But they can start rethinking what they do at running back, too, and I have a suggestion: Trade Johnson for draft picks. It doesn't really matter what you get for him -- if he doesn't wake up, what matters is that you get rid of him.

Everywhere along the NFL landscape there are lessons of how teams benefit once they solve their headaches, and I offer the New York Giants with and without Jeremy Shockey as Exhibit A.

The Giants have veterans galore who can straighten out wayward individuals. The Chiefs do not. That is why it's critical to get this thing right. Johnson isn't as important to the Chiefs as a player as he is a case study. Teammates must understand that if they act like Johnson, they find themselves on the bench or the next plane out of town.

Maybe that's what Johnson wants, I don't. But I don't care. What I do know is that there is something much bigger than Johnson here, and that's the future of the Chiefs.

They can't be held hostage to an irresponsible player, I don't care how talented or productive he is. They need to identify the players they can trust and move on with them, which is why they have no choice but to sit Johnson again -- and to start thinking about moving on for good without him.