Johnson Released by Colts

Defensive tackle Ellis Johnson was released by the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday, a surprising move that team officials said Johnson requested.

Johnson was the Colts’ first-round pick in 1995 and started all but four games for the team since 1997. He started all three of Indianapolis’ exhibition games.

Team President Bill Polian said Johnson did not believe he fit well into Coach Tony Dungy’s defensive scheme and that he preferred playing full-time rather than being part of a rotation.

Polian said Johnson first asked to be released or traded last week.

“He was dissatisfied with the way he had been playing, and he didn’t feel he was making much progress in the new system,” Polian said. “Our advice to him was to give it another week because sometimes a light goes on.”

Polian said he, Johnson and Dungy met early this week and a second time with Dungy before the team granted Johnson his release.

“He was doing a good job for us and playing well,” Dungy said. “But I think he wanted to play full-time, and we felt we owed it to him to give him that opportunity a few days before the rosters have to be down to 53.”

Johnson had said at the end of last year that he wanted to return to Indianapolis, where he lives. He even restructured his contract to save the Colts $2 million on this year’s salary cap so he could stay with the team.

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Defensive tackle Ryan Sims, the sixth player selected in the NFL draft, agreed to a seven-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 315-pound Sims, who is from North Carolina, likely will not be ready for the season opener Sept. 8 against the Cleveland Browns.

Financial terms were not announced, but a team source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the deal included a signing bonus of around $10 million, partly deferred to next year.

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The New England Patriots have extended the contract of quarterback Tom Brady, who led the team to a Super Bowl victory last season. Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. Brady’s original contract was to expire after this season. The Patriots announced the signing but didn’t release details.

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Terry Glenn, who sat out the first three exhibition games because of a knee injury, will make his debut with the Green Bay Packers in the exhibition finale Friday night at Lambeau Field against Tennessee.... The New York Jets claimed quarterback Todd Husak off waivers from Denver. He was on the Jets’ practice squad for much of last season. Also, New York waived tight end Daniel Wilcox.