It has been more than a decade since Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson retired from the NFL. Despite having a glorious career, he still carries one regret to this day. Last week, he appeared on the Late Run podcast and opened up about that regret, which revolves around money. Surprisingly, his regret seems to have gotten deeper, especially after David Beckham’s $1.4 billion MLS venture, something he wished he had done.
Following the podcast, he shared a clip of himself talking about regret, asking whether he can still get on the same boat as the soccer legend.
“Is it too late to purchase @intermiami?” wrote Chad Johnson on X, sharing a clip from the Late Run podcast.
Purchase Inter Miami CF? That is certainly an interesting take. The former Cincinnati Bengals WR is a massive soccer fan and has often expressed it during interviews. From pursuing the sport, which included a 2011 trial with Sporting Kansas City and playing for Boca Raton FC in 2019, to talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo during interviews, he has done it all. But now, he has taken it one step further by declaring his desire to purchase the club.
Currently, the club is worth $1.4 billion and is co-owned by David Beckham. Surprisingly, Beckham had to pay only $25 million for the club.
He had the right to buy Inter Miami because of a contract he signed with LA Galaxy in 2007. They established the club in 2018, and after eight years, it holds a value exceeding a billion. After watching the former Manchester United player’s success, Johnson also wants to have a part in it.
Johnson has visited Inter Miami on multiple occasions. His most notable visit was during the 2024 season opener, where he met the owner and Lionel Messi. Even during the Late Run podcast, he weighed in on investing in an MLS team, rather than an NFL team.
Is it too late to purchase @InterMiamiCF
https://t.co/KJOdIZf7Ym
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) April 4, 2026
Moreover, watching Beckham being so successful, his desire to be an owner has also resurfaced. Ochocinco earned over $49 million from his time in Cincinnati and has a net worth of $15 million. Unfortunately, it may not be enough to buy an MLS team, let alone Inter Miami. Even if he could not fully own it, there is always a chance to be a part owner.
Tom Brady and T.J. Watt are also minority owners of Birmingham City and Burnley F.C., respectively. For Johnson, it would have been easier if he had not been penalized so often during his professional career.
Chad Johnson has lost over $5 million from paying fines
Johnson made his NFL debut in 2001 after the Cincinnati Bengals drafted him. The Miami Dolphins were the last NFL franchise with which he was associated in 2012. During the podcast, the wide receiver revealed that he was penalized multiple times and “got fined over $5 million” throughout his career. During the Late Run podcast, he even spoke about how he would have approached things differently if given a chance.
“Now owning an MLS, that’s different. Now, if I talk to Don [Garber] back then, he gave me the opportunity to do so,” said Chad Johnson on the Late Run podcast, via X. “I would take all my money. I would have stopped getting fined. Use that fine money to go towards making that investment instead.”
During the podcast, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber, was present. So, when the question of owning an MLS team came up, the six-time Pro Bowler did not shy away from saying that he would have invested the money in buying a team, rather than getting fined. He would have taken a similar approach to Beckham. But the NFL does not have a policy like that.
If there had been, it could have changed Johnson’s life. He might not have had to pay millions in fines. The most hefty one was $50k, which was caused by “altered uniform” violations. Besides that, he was fined $30k in 2009 for wearing a sombrero and poncho after a touchdown catch against Detroit. The following year, he had to pay another $25k for violating the league’s social media policy by tweeting from the sidelines during a preseason game.
Because he was fined so much, he even put up a sign in 2003 saying, “Dear NFL: Please don’t fine me again.”
Unfortunately, it is all in the past. But Ochocinco still seems to be interested in owning a franchise. Since Messi’s Inter Miami debut, revenue has grown by $200 million, with a significant hike in Apple TV subscriptions, sponsorships, and global visibility. So, such an investment could earn him millions. Now, it remains to be seen whether the four-time All-Pro keeps on having regrets or takes action.
