CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Defensive end Charles Johnson no longer should be known as “Big Money."
“Big Heart" is more fitting.
Less than a week after being released by the Carolina Panthers so the NFC champions could clear $11 million under the salary cap, Johnson has agreed to re-sign for half the amount he could have gotten from another team.
Johnson went with his heart instead of his wallet in an era when athletes often are accused of being greedy.
He agreed, according to league sources, to a one-year, $3 million deal that seems like pocket change compared to the six-year, $76 million deal he got in 2011 to earn the nickname “Big Money.