Former Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson made clear in January that he’s backing Deshaun Watson in his conflict with the organization, and he recently added some context as to why.
Johnson urged Watson to stand his ground in a tweet last month, ripping the Texans’ organization as “pathetic.” In a recent podcast appearance with ex-NFL receiver Harry Douglas, Johnson said his familiarity with the organization, even in retirement, allowed him to see and understand when things were off.
“I’ve been around the organization for a long time,” Johnson said, via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk. “I worked there last season. It’s just certain things you see. Being able to be on that side of it, it’s just certain things that you see that you know are not right.”
As Johnson noted, he did serve in an advisory role with the Texans before stepping down last August. That does at least give him some knowledge of what’s gone on behind the scenes that has so alienated Watson.
The Texans have made clear where they stand on a Watson trade demand. For now, Watson is taking Johnson’s advice. Whatever the case, it’s a bad sign for the organization when arguably the franchise’s greatest player who spent nearly his entire career there is advocating for current players to get out.
Deshaun Watson is not on good terms with the Houston Texans at the moment, and one of the greatest players in franchise history says he can understand why.
Former Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson took to Twitter on Tuesday to rip the Texans. Johnson, a seven-time Pro Bowler, said he would “stand my ground” if he were in Watson’s position. He also blasted vice president of football operations Jack Easterby and said only bad things have happened in Houston since Easterby was hired.
Easterby came to the Texans from the New England Patriots, where he was a character coach and eventually became team development director. He was in charge of character development rather than talent evaluation, which is why Bill Belichick recently gave this brutally honest quote about him.
DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded to the Arizona Cardinals from Houston last year, agreed with Johnson.
Johnson, who is the Texans’ all-time leader in just about every receiving category, had been working with the team in an advisory role at one point. He said last summer that he was no longer on the staff anymore.
Watson is reportedly furious with the Texans that they did not involve him in their general manager search, among other reasons. You can read more about the situation here.
It has been more than a decade since former Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson and Tennessee Titans defensive back Cortland Finnegan got into a full-blown fist fight, but Matt Schaub remembers it like it was yesterday. When you hear the quarterback share some of the details surrounding the brawl, you’ll understand why.
Schaub made an appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast this week after announcing his retirement from the NFL. Host PFT Commenter asked him about the infamous Johnson-Finnegan incident, which took place on Nov. 28, 2010. Schaub said he, his teammates and players around the league loved every second of it.
“That was a long time coming. That was probably like two or three years boiling and it came to a head that game. … Cortland was talking to our sideline and Andre just had enough,” Schaub recalled. “It takes a lot to rattle Andre Johnson, but you could tell (it was coming) in the huddle. He was telling the official when we were getting into the huddle before that play and looked at them and said, ‘Something’s about to happen.'”
Schaub said the Texans called a running play, and the next thing he knew Johnson was throwing haymakers at Finnegan. Johnson was fined for the incident, but Schaub says so many players around the NFL disliked the former cornerback that they helped cover the cost of the fine.
“We started getting texts from all different guys across the league that we knew just being like, ‘Thank you — finally,'” Schaub said. “He got a little fine, but I think that got taken care of by guys all over the league and receivers all over the league.”
The fight was certainly a memorable one. You can see a video of it here.
The fact that players around the league helped Johnson pay the fine says a lot about Finnegan.
The Houston Texans already lost one star receiver this offseason in DeAndre Hopkins, and now they are losing another (albeit a retired one).
Former Texans star Andre Johnson said on Saturday that he is stepping down from his advisory role with the team. The 39-year-old had been serving as a special advisor to head coach and GM Bill O’Brien.
Johnson cited the heavy time commitment in his decision to step down. He did add though that he would still be around the team in some capacity, per Mark Berman of KRIV in Houston.
Johnson, a seven-time Pro Bowler, played 12 seasons for the Texans. He retired in 2016 and was promptly inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.
Johnson’s departure from an official role is the latest development in what has been a tumultuous last few months for O’Brien and Co. in Houston.
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Andre Johnson has decided to call it a career.
Multiple reports have confirmed that Johnson informed his Tennessee Titans teammates on Monday that he is retiring.
Johnson had just nine receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns with the Titans this season. He was essentially a non-factor in the offense, having not recorded a catch in his last three games.
While the final two years of his career with the Titans and Indianapolis Colts did not go as hoped, Johnson was easily one of the best receivers in the game during his prime with the Houston Texans. He is currently ninth all-time in the NFL with 1,062 receptions and 10th with 14,185 receiving yards.
Johnson is the second prominent veteran to retire from football in the last week.
Andre Johnson’s AFC South tour is nearly complete.
According to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN on Friday, Johnson has agreed to a two-year deal with the Tennessee Titans, who will help absorb some of the money he is still owed by the Indianapolis Colts.
Johnson, 35, appeared in all 16 games for Indianapolis last season, registering 503 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The seven-time Pro Bowler used to be one of the top wideouts in football but has struggled in recent years with route running and drops (perhaps due in part to age) and was featured sparsely in the Colts offense as a result. Johnson shut down some retirement rumors this offseason and worked out for Tennessee earlier this week.
The ex-Houston Texan will hopefully be another weapon for Marcus Mariota alongside Harry Douglas, Dorial Beckham-Green, Kendall Wright, and fellow newcomer Rishard Matthews, but there just doesn’t appear to be much upside left for the declining Johnson.
Andre Johnson is not ready to call it a career but still does not have a home yet for training camp. The free agent wide receiver is hoping to change that.
Johnson worked out for the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday, as first reported by the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the workout was just a “feel-out session.”
Johnson turned 35 two weeks ago and is coming off a disappointing season with the Indianapolis Colts. He caught 41 passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns — a significant dropoff from the stats he posted the year before.
Though Johnson is clearly on the way down, a team like the Titans may see some value with him given his experience. Tennessee currently has Kendall Wright, Rishard Matthews and Dorial Green-Beckham atop its depth chart at wide receiver.
After a disappointing season with the Indianapolis Colts, Andre Johnson has found himself unemployed. Two or three years ago, the soon-to-be 35-year-old was one of the best receivers in football. Has he really lost it all that quickly?
As Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes, Johnson is still working out in hopes of getting a call from an NFL team. He has been training every day, which we saw earlier this week when Rischad Whitfield of Blitz Football shared a short clip on Twitter:
Johnson signed a three-year deal worth $21 million with the Colts last offseason, but he made nothing of the opportunity. He caught just 41 passes for 503 yards and four touchdowns. Now, a little more than a year after some teams were rumored to be willing to pay the seven-time Pro Bowler $10 million per season, Johnson is hoping he is not forced into retirement. He made his intentions for the upcoming season quite clear back in March.
Even at his age, there has to be a team that is willing to give Johnson a shot to earn a roster spot in training camp.
Andre Johnson, soon to be released by the Indianapolis Colts, has disputed reports of a potential retirement, saying that he completely intends to play in 2016.
Johnson attended the Jordan Brand Football Summit in Las Vegas on Saturday and told NFL media that he fully intends to be on the field somewhere next season if it’s up to him.
“I am playing, there’s no question about that,” Johnson said. “I know I can still play this game…people read into the stories too much. I’m not discouraged about what happened this past season, I’m just waiting for an opportunity.”
Johnson’s primary consideration in free agency will be finding a contender to play for.
“It’s about winning a championship,” Johnson said. “Somewhere I can help a team accomplish the ultimate goal.”
Johnson is coming off the worst season of his career, with just 41 catches and four touchdowns as he was on the periphery of the Indianapolis offense. A previous report stated that he was mulling retirement, but this apparently isn’t true. We’ll see if a team is willing to give him a chance.
Longtime NFL receiver Andre Johnson has reportedly played his last game with the Indianapolis Colts and quite possibly in the NFL as a whole.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson, who will be 35 in July, will be released by the Colts and is considering stepping away from the game for good.
Johnson has had an outstanding career. He’s in the top ten all time in both receptions and receiving yards, and nearly all of that damage was done in Houston, where his quarterbacks weren’t very good. It’s no surprise that he’s done in Indy either way, though, as he caught just 41 passes for the team in 2015.
As Rapoport notes, Johnson isn’t the only high-profile receiver considering stepping away from the game for good.
