Andre Johnson restructures Texans contract to facilitate Brian Cushing deal

For the third straight year, Andre Johnson restructured his contract to create salary cap space for the Texans. Houston reworked Johnson's deal on Tuesday, in order to create enough room for Brian Cushing's six-year extension.

Johnson was set to earn a base salary of $10.5 million this season, but he and the Texans agreed to a deal that reduced his base salary to $5 million with the other $5.5 million converted to bonuses, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. The Texans and Johnson agreed to similar deals in each of the past two seasons, reducing his base salary and converting the difference into a bonus.

Although the latest restructure will help Houston in the short term, it could have an impact on Johnson's long-term standing with the team. Joel Corry, a salary cap expert for National Football Post and former agent, said Johnson could eventually become candidate for release because each restructure raises his future cap numbers.

Johnson's salary cap numbers aren't likely to be a factor as long as he remains productive. However, at 32 years old, he could begin to decline soon, at which point his cap number may be too high for Houston to justify or manage.


(sbnation.com)