On Tuesday, the Bucs took the first step in granting the flamboyant three- time NFL Pro Bowler his wish.

In a likely precursor to an off-season trade or release, the Bucs told Johnson they will deactivate him for their remaining six games this season and that he is no longer welcome at One Buc Place.

``It was made very clear by Keyshawn that he viewed this as his last season here,'' Bucs general manager Rich McKay said. ``He felt he was going to need to move on; he made that clear to us.

``And following that I really believe Keyshawn's actions changed. His approach to us, to the organization and to the team changed. A lot of mandatory workouts were missed, and a lot of football-related functions were not attended.

``It became a problem - one that needed to be addressed because we're trying to win football games, and at some point you have to say this is not in the best interest of winning.''

The decision to deactivate Johnson and not release him now means he will remain on the Bucs' 53-man roster and must be paid the remainder of his $500,000 salary for 2003.

McKay said the move is necessary because the Bucs cannot release Johnson, 31, and remain in compliance with the NFL's salary cap guidelines. The league's trading deadline has passed.

Releasing Johnson would trigger a $6.51 million acceleration of the $13 million signing bonus he received when the Bucs acquired him in an April 12, 2000, trade with the Jets for two first-round draft picks.

The Bucs are under the cap by $395,000, so the acceleration of Johnson's signing bonus would put them over by more than $6 million.

Work Ethic Cited

Johnson, who penned an autobiography after his rookie season titled ``Just Give Me the Damn Ball,'' said he was surprised by the decision but was ready to move on with his career.

``I'm not the first player to get cut, and I won't be the last,'' he told ESPN. ``I don't think I got whatever you want to call it - released or put on the inactive list - because of my ability to perform on the field. I really don't have a clear- cut answer as to why the decision was made.''

The Bucs cited Johnson's work ethic as one reason. In addition to missing mandatory workouts, including a running and weight-lifting session Monday, Johnson's play on the practice field had become sloppy, team officials said. He also missed curfew at least twice, they said.

Johnson also was critical of Bucs fans for booing during Sunday's loss to Green Bay.

Johnson said he was never told Monday's workout was mandatory, and he denied that he ever missed a workout that was deemed mandatory. He did not deny that his relationship with Coach Jon Gruden was strained.

``It was a bad marriage,'' said Johnson, who added that he thinks the decision to deactivate him was pushed through by Gruden and that McKay was not completely on board with it.

Johnson and Gruden have clashed several times the past two years over Gruden's play- calling and use of Johnson, most notably during a heated sideline exchange that was seen nationally by ``Monday Night Football'' viewers last season.

In the aftermath of the Bucs' Super Bowl XXXVII victory in January, Gruden said he had gained a better understanding of Johnson. But this season was only a few weeks old when Johnson again began expressing displeasure with Gruden.

Hurt Feelings

``This was a personality thing,'' said Johnson's agent, Jerome Stanley. ``Keyshawn Johnson and Jon Gruden took turns hurting each other's feelings.

``Jon would tell Keyshawn that he was going to use him a lot one week and then he'd call plays that didn't involve him. That hurt Keyshawn's feelings.''

Johnson's frustration with Gruden appeared to reach a breaking point after the Bucs' 24-7 loss to the 49ers on Oct. 19 in which Johnson caught just one pass. Two days later, Johnson, the team's third-leading receiver with 45 catches for 600 yards, first expressed his desire to leave, McKay said.

According to Johnson, his relationship with Gruden worsened after that because he believed Gruden attacked him personally when he said during a team meeting that selfish players were hurting the Bucs' chances of winning.

Johnson said he thinks Gruden was trying to get the team to turn against him by making those comments and that he then became emphatic about leaving the Bucs after this season.

``He was very emphatic about it, which is fine,'' McKay said. ``And realize, he's not the first player to say that. But it's the actions that followed and the disruption created that precipitated where we are today.''

Gruden refused to go into detail when asked to explain Johnson's complaints about the offense and the way he was used. He admitted, though, that he thinks Johnson's feelings and frustration did affect his play.

``When you have a person who isn't happy where he is while he's there, your performance isn't going to be all it can be,'' said Gruden, who added that Johnson's frustrations with the offense go back several years.

``I've been told he wasn't thrilled with the offense when he got here [in 2000]; he wasn't thrilled with the offense the year before I got here, and I know he wasn't thrilled with the offense with me calling the plays,'' Gruden said. ``It's nothing personal. Hopefully he finds what he's looking for.''

Gruden said Joe Jurevicius will replace Johnson in the starting lineup. Jurevicius returned Sunday from a knee injury that kept him out of action for seven weeks.