Why Andre Johnson Leaving The Houston Texans Makes Sense
In 2003, the Houston Texans drafted a wide receiver that would become one of the greatest, and most beloved, players in franchise history. Andre Johnson, out of Miami, would go on to post more than a thousand receptions and over 13,000 yards over his 12 years with the Texans thus far. It was the general belief that Andre would retire a Texan after spending his whole career here.
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But all of that changed on Monday.
It was reported by NFL Media’s Albert Breer that Johnson had been given permission by the Texans’ front office to seek out a trade. Later that night, Johnson posted on his Instagram, thanking the city of Houston for their support.
This spelled the unfortunate end of Andre’s time here with the Texans, to the disappointment of Houston fans everywhere. But this hypothetical transaction makes sense for both sides.
Andre has spent his 12 seasons with Texans playing for one mediocre season after another. Houston made the playoffs only twice over that span, winning the wild card game and then losing in the divisional round both times.
Now, if Johnson is able to land on competitor’s roster, he has a real chance to win a Super Bowl. The talented receiver still has something in the tank, and could really help out a contender with a good quarterback but not much depth at receiving, such as pairing up with quarterback Tom Brady in New England, or becoming Andrew Luck‘s new weapon in Indianapolis.
Trading or cutting Johnson would also benefit the Texans, as the soon-to-be 34-year-old receiver was due over $20 million over the next two years. This would be a lot of money to pay a player who is on the down slope of his career, and this adds additional cap space.
This would also give younger players the chance to rise up and make a name for themselves, and help piece together a younger team. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has shown huge potential in his first two seasons, and looks to be able to handle No 1 receiving duty.
All in all, it is still sad to see A.J. go, and he will be severely missed if he does end up on another roster come September.