After a big opening day in free agency, the Indianapolis Colts appeared poised to make another splash on day two by signing veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson. According to a report by Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk, Johnson is planning on taking his time with this decision.
Florio’s sources say that Johnson has interest from seven other teams. He has spent his entire career in Houston and isn’t taking his next decision lightly.
It looked like the Colts were going to get a package deal with Johnson and Frank Gore as the two former Hurricanes reunited in the pros. They would also have been paired up their college coaches in Chuck Pagano and Rob Chudzinski, who was their offensive coordinator. That would have essentially set up a campus for Miami University of Indiana.
Its hard to imagine that Johnson would sign with any team in the league. He’s made nearly $89 million throughout his career and at this point would likely want to play for a Super Bowl contender.
Johnson has played at a Hall of Fame level for the better part of 12 years without the benefit of a quality quarterback. He’ll be looking for a team that has a good QB and will make the playoffs this year. Johnson has only been to the postseason twice in his career and the Texans are 2-2 in those appearances.
Johnson asked for his release from the Texans, with $30 million left on his contract, after he learned that he’d have a reduced role on offense next year. Coach Bill O’Brien told him that he’d probably end the season with around 40 receptions.
The Colts make a lot of sense for Johnson. There are few teams that are not only a contender but can also let Johnson stick it to his former team twice a year. He’s also a good fit for the Colts offense as they need a veteran to bridge the gap with a young receiving corps as well as a reliable possession receiver.
GM Ryan Grigson has gained a reputation as a closer and when he gets his guy in Indianapolis they don’t leave.
History tells us if Andre Johnson leaves Indy w/o a deal in place, he'll sign elsewhere. Seldom does a team get a second look.
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) March 11, 2015
Johnson might just want to mull over his options or is trying to get more out of his next contract. It seemed like a done deal last night, but for now we’ll wait and see what Johnson’s decision will be.
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