Thursday on Twitter, former Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph announced his retirement from the NFL after 15 seasons.
Joseph played nine seasons with the Houston Texans from 2011-2019, and in between his near-decade stay with the Texans, Joseph played his first five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and his final season with the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans for a combined 11 games.
As a cornerback with the Texans, Joseph played in 133 games (128 starts) and had the following totals:
– 17 interceptions
– 4 touchdowns
– 118 passes defensed
– 5 forced fumbles
– 3 fumble recoveries
– 482 combined tackles
– 421 solo tackles
– 8 tackles for loss
– 1 QB hit.
From 2012-19 with the Houston Texans, Joseph played in no less than 58 percent of the defensive snaps, with the most being in 2015 where he played in 84 percent of the defensive snaps, equaling 876 plays. In ’13, Joseph played in 82 percent of the defensive plays (832).
Twice Joseph was selected to a Pro Bowl, both as a member of the Houston Texans (2011, 2012), and once was selected to the AP All-Pro second-team in 2011, his first season in Houston.
Houston Texans: Johnathan Joseph thanks many in retirement announcement
On Twitter, Joseph first announced his retirement, then followed with many special messages:
Today I retire from the NFL.
— Johnathan Joseph (@JJOE2424) June 10, 2021
In the summer of 2006, I signed my first NFL contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Fifteen years later, I can say I accomplished my childhood goal of making it to the NFL. I will never forget as a kid telling my father I wanted to be in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/v29OIiziwY
Before joining Houston in 2011, Joseph was selected in the first round by the Bengals, and his play with that franchise allowed him to sign his contract with the Houston Texans, a team he ended up spending most of his career with.
Then came the tweet with images from his playing days with the Texans, as Johnathan Joseph thanked his family:
To my wife Delaina thank you for being supportive, understanding, and a great mom. My kids thank you and love you. My mom and sister thank you for believing in me and being my #1 fans. To my family and friends thanks for being supportive, caring, and the backbone to my success. pic.twitter.com/8mkFaxSavK
— Johnathan Joseph (@JJOE2424) June 10, 2021
Joseph also thanked all of his teammates and opponents he faced throughout his 15 seasons in the NFL, with photos from his time with the Cardinals and Titans last season:
To my teammates & brothers in the game I couldn’t have asked for better locker rooms. Playing with & against you all have been the greatest honor. Thanks to Big Unk Lawrence for always believing in me! To my boys (ride or die)wanna say thank u and my agent Jason Chayut u the best pic.twitter.com/08yYWeYX0n
— Johnathan Joseph (@JJOE2424) June 10, 2021
The former Houston Texans cornerback didn’t forget all of the schools and teams he played from from his early days in the game of football to his final NFL season, showing gratitude for all of those he played the game with:
Thank you Northwestern High, @cccredravens, @GamecockFB, @Bengals, @HoustonTexans , @Titans and @AZCardinals for believing in me.
— Johnathan Joseph (@JJOE2424) June 10, 2021
Joseph ended his retirement announcement on Twitter by thanking the fans. His many years with the Houston Texans brought memorable moments, as he became the greatest cornerback in franchise history, making two Pro Bowls along the way:
Last but not least thank you to the fans. You are the best fans in the world. You made playing the game worth it.
— Johnathan Joseph (@JJOE2424) June 10, 2021
It was an honor to play the game at the highest level and I’m looking forward to starting the next chapter of my life.
Though Joseph’s career with the Houston didn’t have the best ending, all of the good moments he had with the team will be remembered for many years to come. Eventually one day Joseph should have his name in the Texans’ Ring of Honor, as his resume with the team speaks for itself.
Houston’s success rate on the field was better while Joseph was on the team than when he wasn’t in the secondary. Joseph played for all six AFC South championship teams and was a part of all but one winning season in franchise history, meaning Joseph played for seven Texans teams that were above .500 in the win-loss column.
Joseph deserves a standing ovation for his NFL career, as he was one of the very best to ever wear a Houston Texans uniform.