Ochocinco + T.O. for the Bengals

Posted on July 27th, 2010 by by Melody

Cincinnati groupies rejoice!

Chad Ochocinco and BFF Terrell Owens are now more than just Celebreality mates… They are officially teammates for the Cincinnati Bengals as they both wished for T.O. to be picked up by the team.

According to ProFootballTalk, T.O. will receive a base salary of $2 million and can earn up to another $2 million in incentives.

The source says that the incentives are based on receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Given that the Bengals didn’t really have a need at the position and in light of the franchise’s reputation for being extremely careful with money, it’s a good deal for Owens. He gets more than twice the veteran minimum for a player of his experience, and though the specific triggers for the $2 million are not yet known, it’s our understanding that if he performs like he did last year in Buffalo (55 catches, 829 yards, five touchdowns), he’ll earn most of the money.

That said, the decision to tie that much money to performance could create friction, if Owens isn’t on the field as much as he believes he needs to be. But the Bengals likely know this, and the decision potentially reflects a concession that Antonio Bryant isn’t going to be what they thought he was going to be.