Andre Johnson was the first true superstar to play for the Houston Texans and he's also their first Hall of Famer.
At halftime of their Week 8 contest, he was honored by the team and presented with his Hall of Fame Ring. They even named the meeting with the Indianapolis Colts the AJ 80 Hall of Fame Game.
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Johnson will forever be the first, but he won't be the franchise's last star player inducted into the Hall of Fame. With that being said, let's identify the next three Texans who could be on their way to Canton in the future.
3. DeAndre Hopkins, WR (2013-present)
Andre Johnson was released ahead of the 2015 season. The Texans were ready to turn to DeAndre Hopkins as the focal point of the offense, leading to the decision to move on from the 34-year-old wideout.
Hopkins, who was the 27th overall pick out of Clemson in 2013, had just posted 1,210 yards and six touchdowns on 76 receptions. Once he was the true No. 1 wideout, he topped that with 111 receptions, 1,521 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
Despite issues with the quarterback situation, Hopkins continued to thrive. In seven years with the Texans, he had 632 receptions for 8,602 yards and 54 touchdowns. Since leaving, he's continued to put up big numbers, going for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Cardinals from 2020 through 2022. Then in 2023, he had 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans.
Hopkins was off to a slow start in 2024, but that could change since he was recently traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. He now has Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball which could lead to a lot of success as his career winds down. That might even include winning a Super Bowl, which will only help his chances of being inducted once his career is done.
2. Duane Brown, OT (2008-2023)
Taken 26th overall out of Virginia Tech in 2008, Duane Brown spent 10 years playing left tackle for the Texans. He made it to the Pro Bowl three times during that span and was a two-time All-Pro selection. Unfortunately, his time in Houston didn't end well, as he forced his way out of town and was traded to the Seattle Seahawks during the 2017 campaign.
Brown earned two more Pro Bowl nods and had one more All-Pro selection during his five-year stint with the Seahawks. He played the final two years of his career with the New York Jets. In all, he played in 220 career games with 218 starts and was always seen as one of the premier offensive linemen.
1. J.J. Watt, DE (2011-2022)
As much as Johnson meant to the offense, J.J. Watt meant that — and more — to the defense during his tenure.
Taken at No. 11 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, Watt went on to have one of the greatest careers any defensive end has ever put together. In 10 seasons with the Texans, he had 531 tackles, 101 sacks, 61 passes batted down, and 25 forced fumbles.
Watt won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award three times in his career, starting in 2012. As a second-year player, he had 20.5 sacks. He tied that number in 2014, which was his second DPOY campaign. His third was in 2015 when he led the league with 17.5 sacks.
For good measure, Watt even played a little offense for the Texans. In 2014, he had three receptions for four yards and scored a touchdown on all three catches. He had one more target in 2015, but wasn't able to haul that one in.
Watt a catch. 🤯🤯🤯#TBT | #CLEvsHOU pic.twitter.com/Blk8mdiJyO
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 29, 2018
He spent two years with the Arizona Cardinals to close out his career. The first saw him record 16 tackles and a sack in seven games before a shoulder injury ended his season. He bounced back from shoulder surgery and proved the doubters wrong by playing in 16 games in 2022. He posted 39 tackles with 12.5 sacks before hanging it up.
Watt's first year of eligibility will be in 2028 and he's expected to be a First-Ballot Hall of Fame selection.