Texans won’t cut Andre Johnson until they know they can’t trade him

The Texans gave receiver Andre Johnson permission to seek a trade.  Johnson rejected it, asking to be released instead.

The Texans haven’t.  And they apparently won’t, at least not for now.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans won’t cut Johnson until they’re sure no trade will be made.

It’s a high-stakes game of P.R. chicken.  From Johnson’s perspective, no one will trade for a contract that will pay the player $11.5 million this year — so why shouldn’t the Texans just cut him?  From the team’s perspective, maybe a franchise that hopes to acquire Johnson at a reduced rate will give something up to get the deal done sooner than later — so why should the Texans let him go?

Maybe the Texans should consider everything Johnson has done for the franchise over the last dozen years.  They’ve made it clear they don’t want Johnson, telling him that he’ll have a reduced role in the hopes of provoking him to say he wants to leave.  Now that the Texans got what they wanted, why would they delay his ability to hit the market along with the other veteran free agents?

The Texans have every right to squat on his rights.  But that sends a bad message to Johnson and to the rest of the players who, if their careers go incredibly well, eventually will be in the same position.


(profootballtalk.com)