Andre Johnson is the franchise-leading wide receiver for the Houston Texans and without him, the offense looks a little less intimidating. Johnson has been vocal about his displeasure with the direction the Texans have been heading in and told media that is a trade happened, he would not turn it down. Currently holding out of OTAs, some of the Texans roster is getting a little nervous over Johnson's status, including running back Arian Foster.
The running back knows just how important Johnson is to the team. If any of the Texans' quarterbacks are going to be successful having Johnson on the field is key. So when the veteran said he would not mind getting traded ouf of Houston, Foster appears to have taken it upon himself to make sure that does not happen. Foster took to Instagram to post a video of him holding on tightly to a photo of Johnson with the song "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" playing. Foster is clearly trying to send a message.
The Texans have been quiet regarding the absence of the wide receiver. Head coach Bill O'Brien simply continues to remain positive in the face of media, praising the veteran and what he means to the team. Johnson will show up eventually. He is contracted to play this season and likely has no intentions of taking the heavy fine. Sitting out of practice means that players like DeAndre Hopkins become the leading wide receiver for Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Savage.
"The conversations that Andre and I have had have been very positive about what we're doing here as a team," O'Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. "Obviously, offensively, what we're doing here. We've had good communications. But as far as what Andre said, I'll let him speak for himself."
Trade rumors have been hovering close to Johnson ever since he spoke out against the team after the NFL Draft. Most teams believe that for the right price, Johnson is available and everyone from the New England Patriots to the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns have at least inquired about what that price would be. Financially, it makes no sense for the Texans to get rid of Johnson and the likelihood that he remains on the roster is pretty great.
For now, the pressure is on Hopkins and Foster to step up and perform during Johnson's absence. Missing OTAs is not a huge issue considering they are voluntary. However, expect the Texans to be a bit more vocal if he skips mandatory minicamp.
