Andre Johnson's refusal to take part in any offseason activities has been a success in one aspect: it has the Houston Texans guessing.
Andre Johnson trying to force a trade out of Houston?
NFL.com reported Friday that first-year coach Bill O'Brien still had no idea whether his star wide receiver will show up for the team's mandatory minicamp next week.
"You know, again, I don't know," O'Brien said, according to NFL.com. "I don't know."
The 32-year-old Johnson has been hinting at asking for a trade since May when he met with reporters and questioned whether he could endure another rebuilding project after the Texans' 2-14 season in 2013. That led to the firing of coach Gary Kubiak.
The Texans then waited until the fourth round to select a quarterback, taking Pitt's Tom Savage, adding to Johnson's frustration.
Johnson is entering his 12th season in the NFL. He is a seven-time Pro Bowler with 927 career receptions for 12,661 yards and 61 touchdowns. According to NFL.com, Johnson also is under contract with the Texans and doesn't appear to have leverage in negotiations with the team.
"Unless the Texans are blown away by a trade offer, it's Houston or bust for Andre," NFL.com commented.
Part of Johnson's problem is the fact that he said he wasn't ready to retire as recently as February.
"I know I'm not a second-, third-, or fourth-year guy. Everything comes to an end at some point," Johnson told the Houston Chronicle. "But right now I don't know when it might end. I'm feeling fine. I'm feeling healthy. So I'm going to continue to play as long as I can.
"Everybody knows that day when it's over. When that day comes, I'll have no problem stepping away. But right now I feel fine. I feel like I still have a few more years left in me."
Of course, Johnson does have the option of simply sitting out and trying to force a trade that way. But with the Texans in rebuilding mode, even a holdout doesn't scare the team.
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