THE NFL has handed out a punishment to a free agent just days before the start of the season.
The 29-year-old defensive back was already without a team.
John Johnson III has been suspended by the NFL for three games[/caption]
Johnson III also played for the Cleveland Browns[/caption]
John Johnson III is a free agent after his second stint with the Los Angeles Rams.
NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero announced Wednesday that he had been suspended.
Safety Johnson III will not be able to play for three games, if and when he finds a new team.
The reason for the ban is not known.
Johnson III was a third round NFL Draft selection out of Boston College in 2017.
He played for the Rams from 2017 to 2020 before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Johnson III signed a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns in March 2021.
His contract earned him $33.75 million with $24 million guaranteed.
But the safety was released in the summer of 2023 after just two seasons in Cleveland, Ohio.
He rejoined the Los Angeles Rams during preseason on a veteran minimum deal.
And his play in 2023 earned him another one-year contract for 2024.
But Johnson only played two games before fracturing a bone in his shoulder.
He spent the rest of the season on the injured reserve list.
And the defensive back is a free agent again as he looks to continue his career.
Johnson has 562 total tackles in his career so far and 15 interceptions.
He has also had four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
The football player has stayed busy this summer by playing poker.
He won $20,000 in the Celebrity Poker Tour Championship in May.
The 29-year-old beat UFC fighter Colby Covington to win the top prize.
The Rams won the NFC West with a 10-7 record last year.
Their season ended with a playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the division round.
