Andre contemplating his future- please stay

[WMH]

I'll preface this rant by saying that AJ always has been, and probably always will be one of my favorite players to watch. Dude can ball.

HOWEVER.....

The Texans don't owe him $hit. He's been very well compensated during his time here, and has been treated very well. We sucked last year, and will probably not be great this year. But he's got a job to do, and he's paid well to do it. Drives me nuts when pro athletes talk about "wanting to win", "looking for a ring", then as soon as they are able to hit FA, they grab the cash and run. AJ never hit FA because the Texans ponied up and gave him a more than generous deal that is neither team nor cap friendly. If he truly wanted to be a "team" guy, he would have taken a pay cut to help us get out of cap hell the last 2 years and maybe they could have been more active in FA. Doubt he'll bring that up to the media.

He's untradeable, with a $12MM cap acceleration that we can't absorb.

He plays for us, he sits unpaid, or he retires. Period, exclamation mark.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by WMH

I'll preface this rant by saying that AJ always has been, and probably always will be one of my favorite players to watch. Dude can ball.

HOWEVER.....

The Texans don't owe him $hit. He's been very well compensated during his time here, and has been treated very well. We sucked last year, and will probably not be great this year. But he's got a job to do, and he's paid well to do it. Drives me nuts when pro athletes talk about "wanting to win", "looking for a ring", then as soon as they are able to hit FA, they grab the cash and run. AJ never hit FA because the Texans ponied up and gave him a more than generous deal that is neither team nor cap friendly. If he truly wanted to be a "team" guy, he would have taken a pay cut to help us get out of cap hell the last 2 years and maybe they could have been more active in FA. Doubt he'll bring that up to the media.

He's untradeable, with a $12MM cap acceleration that we can't absorb.

He plays for us, he sits unpaid, or he retires. Period, exclamation mark.

This. I have always felt this way and have taken flak for it. I like AJ and I hope he returns but I have a hard time being sympathetic to any unhappy pro-athlete that makes more in a handful of games than I will make in my lifetime.

On the radio, he (AJ) said he will make his decision soon. The radio guys are saying there is no decision - he needs to get to camp. So, I'm thinking his decision comes down to either a) he comes back or b) he retires....

[HPF Bob]

I'd love to see him on a team with a legit chance to win a Super Bowl. I just hope it isn't something like a Steeler or a Raven or a Patriot and we get pennies on the dollar.

[bono]

what happens to his cap number if he somehow decided to retire?

[barrett]

His choice is how much money he's willing to give back. If he's willing to sign a totally new deal with his new team, than we can get something for him. If his agent goes shopping and says "Dre will take 2 years and less than $10 milion," then somebody will give up a pick for him. If not then he can try to make us cut him, but we have no incentive and I am not sure he is capable of playing the bad guy.

As for the idea that anyone who makes lots of money for sports is beyond sympathy, that is a viewpoint that some of you have, and I am cool with that. I know plenty of unhappy rich people, and plenty of well paid people who hate their job/employer. I feel bad for them on the same level I'd feel bad for a poor person or a poorly paid person in the same situation. I feel bad that AJ has gone to work and been excellent for the last decade and his bosses have made that mostly irrelevant. How much he does or doesn't make has nothing to do with it in my mind, but I get those who think it does.

[Nconroe]

Andre's contract year by year is explained here - most likely -
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/houston-t...andre-johnson/

In 2010 Andre Johnson signed a 7 year / $67.80 million contract with the Houston Texans, including a $2,817,500 signing bonus, $20,500,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $9,685,714.

The contract and restructure to help Texans cap space is as this most likely-
Sep 3 2013 - Restructured 2013 salary/roster bonus from $10.5 million to $5 million with Houston (HOU)
Mar 13 2012 - Restructured 2012 salary from $6.5 million to $700k with Houston (HOU)
Aug 5 2010 - Signed a 7 year $67.8 million extension with Houston (HOU)
Mar 3 2007 - Signed a 6 year $70 million extension with Houston (HOU)
Jul 22 2003 - Signed a 6 year $39 million contract with Houston (

[chuck]

Originally Posted by barrett

I feel bad that AJ has gone to work and been excellent for the last decade and his bosses have made that mostly irrelevant. How much he does or doesn't make has nothing to do with it in my mind, but I get those who think it does.

I agree with this totally. He is the only great player the franchise has had (if JJ stays healthy for a decade hell surely be the second) and as I have lamented time and time again the organization has effectively squandered his career.

I will add that Andre has largely kept his mouth shut. I would not begrudge his being much more vocal about his displeasure but it strikes me as typical that he was fairly reserved and understated and that the occasion was a charity event he freaking organized.

Oddly enough I ran into him in the airport in Miami about three weeks ago and was able to give him a distilled version of all of this. Unsurprisingly he was not terrifically loquacious.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by chuck

He is the only great player the franchise has had (if JJ stays healthy for a decade hell surely be the second) and as I have lamented time and time again the organization has effectively squandered his career.

It's a business. He's a paid professional athlete. He's among the elite at his position and is paid accordingly. Everyone familiar with the NFL knows who he is and respects his accomplishments. Irrelevant he is not. In another forum, someone said he's Barry Sanders - Houston version. I agree.

What we got here is a disgruntled employee. And he's not disgruntled with his pay (or he shouldn't be). As of right now, he's got two choices: 1) Suck it up, honor his contract and come back to work and (hopefully) play with the same passion or 2) retire.

A third option is possible but would take negotiating. He could ask out of contract to seek employment elsewhere. The Texans don't have to sit down at the negotiation table if they don't want to.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by bono

what happens to his cap number if he somehow decided to retire?

Same as if he were cut. If it didn't work this way, then this would be a serious loophole in the salary cap system.

Andre has a nice chunk on guaranteed money in this deal. I don't question he's frustrated and has no real options, I just question his timing to speak out now. Maybe he expected more from the team this offseason to address the QB position?

Short of retiring though, not sure what Andre expects to get out of this. He doesn't speak often like this to the media, which is why this is as big a story it is. Seems like he basically paid a $30k check out of his charity to create a media opportunity to air his grievances.

And I wouldn't call it mostly harmless... he is already questioning his new QB (Fitzpatrick) before he even hits mini-camp. That's not really how a good teammate and leader acts, which again, knowing how little Andre speaks, really says a lot about his frustration.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Keith

Same as if he were cut. If it didn't work this way, then this would be a serious loophole in the salary cap system.

Andre has a nice chunk on guaranteed money in this deal. I don't question he's frustrated and has no real options, I just question his timing to speak out now. Maybe he expected more from the team this offseason to address the QB position?

Short of retiring though, not sure what Andre expects to get out of this. He doesn't speak often like this to the media, which is why this is as big a story it is. Seems like he basically paid a $30k check out of his charity to create a media opportunity to air his grievances.

And I wouldn't call it mostly harmless... he is already questioning his new QB (Fitzpatrick) before he even hits mini-camp. That's not really how a good teammate and leader acts, which again, knowing how little Andre speaks, really says a lot about his frustration.

Had the Texans used a first-round pick on a QB, even a second rounder, he might have been pacified. But to the surprise and frustration of some of us (obviously including AJ), Rick & Bill practically waited until the 5th round for a QB, signalling they are all about the rebuilding process and not the POs, atleast anytime real soon. So like a childless woman rapidly leaving her primary childbearing years, AJ is getting anxious about his remaining years for a SB game.

[Joshua]

I read on another messageboard that AJ informed the team of his frustrations/uncertainty of his desire to go through a rebuilding process again several weeks ago; i.e. before the draft.

I suspect if the Texans had taken a QB, it would have made the situation better, but I'm not sure it would have changed it entirely. AJ rightfully recognizes that this team probably won't realistically compete until 2016 at the earliest. I understand his desire not to play the last few remaining years of his career on a team which he knows going in is going nowhere.