Andre Johnson Contemplates His Future

Going into the Texans season-finale Andre Johnson hadn’t given much thought to his future, but that changed after the Texans 23-17 win over the Jaguars at NRG Stadium.

“One of my teammates came up to me and said ‘I hope this is not your last game here,’” he recalled. “I think that’s when it really hit me and I was like ‘Man…’, because, I really hadn’t thought about it.”

Johnson’s 10 catch, 134-yard day was his best of 2014, and his fourth quarter eight-yard touchdown catch put the Texans back in front for good.

“I can still play the game, I know that,” he said.

While at 33 years old, with a dozen NFL season’s under his belt, he isn’t the same player he once was, but Johnson still had a productive 2014 season, catching 85 passes for 936 yards, and watching his team go from two wins a year ago, to nine.

“Our new coaching staff, coming in and getting a 2-14 team and getting us to nine wins, everybody bought in and gave it everything they had every week,” he said.

While Johnson hadn’t given much thought to this season potentially being his last with the Texans, the possibility hasn’t been lost on fans and media. He will count over $16 million against the salary cap next season, second highest (J.J. Watt) on the team. Releasing him would free up close to $9 million, but the last thing Bob McNair wants to do is let his franchise’s first star finish his career in another team’s uniform.

Johnson’s uncle, Andre Melton, told the Houston Chronicle his nephew would take a paycut to remain with the Texans. While Johnson denies ever discussing taking a paycut with his uncle, he has said he’d like to play another three seasons with the Texans, and in the Chronicle story acknowledged taking salary reductions is part of the business.

“Whatever is meant to happen will happen,” Johnson said. “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”


(houston.cbslocal.com)