Texans news: Johnathan Joseph announces NFL retirement on Twitter

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.