Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson was fined $5,000 for wearing “Ocho Cinco” on the back of his jersey before a game in 2006.

To avoid getting fined, Johnson hasn’t done it since then. But Johnson now has a plan for how he can get away with having “Ocho Cinco” spelled out over the “85″ on his back.

We’ve learned that Johnson has taken the first steps in the state of Florida toward legally changing his last name to Ocho Cinco.

Seriously.

If Johnson follows through on this, his actual, legal name will be Chad Ocho Cinco, and the NFL would then (we assume) allow him to put his new last name on the back of his jersey.

From a business standpoint, this might be Chad’s way of picking up some of the extra cash that he wants to make but that the team has said it won’t give him. The jersey would instantly become one of the NFL’s top sellers, and NFL players get a cut of all sales of their jerseys.

In recent interviews, including one on ESPN Monday night, Johnson has made veiled references about future plans that he has said will change the way fans think about him. This is a strange one, to say the least.