After a season in which the passing game finished 26th out of the 32 teams in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals and their fans realized how much they missed T.J. Houshmandzadeh--who is now with the Seattle Seahawks.
Houshmandzadeh signed a five-year deal worth $40 million—with $15 million guaranteed—last March. Over the last couple of years, he developed into arguably one of the—if not best—top No. 2 wideouts in the NFL with Cincinnati. From 2005-08, he caught 372 passes for 4,084 yards and 32 touchdowns. The presence of Chad Ochocinco on the field allowed opposing defenders to focus more time on stopping him, allowing Houshmandzadeh a better chance at finding open areas down the field.
Ever since his signing with Seattle, it appeared the main reason why Houshmandzadeh left was because of his desire for more money. However, a report by Chick Ludwig of Cincinnati.com claims Houshmanzadeh told ESPN's Doug Gottlieb his personal feelings towards the Bengals had an impact his decision to sign with another team.
Houshmandzadeh expressed his frustration towards the organization when he felt the Bengals first attempt to re-sign him was such a low offer it was offensive. By the time they came around with a better offer, it was hard to change his negative attitude towards the situation and decided to go with Seattle.
In his first season with the Seahawks, Houshmandzadeh finished with 79 receptions for 911 yards and three touchdowns. The team finished 5-11 and before firing head coach Jim Mora after just one season.
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