The Texans will allow veteran CB Johnathan Joseph to reach free agency, per a team announcement. The announcement noted that the two sides mutually agreed to this course of action.
Joseph, a 2006 first-round pick of the Bengals, spent the first five years of his career with Cincinnati before signing a five-year, $48.75MM with the Texans prior to the 2011 season (a transaction that today’s announcement said was possibly the most celebrated free agent signing in franchise history). Joseph earned a Pro Bowl nod in both of his first two seasons in Houston, and he went on to appear in 133 games (128 starts) with the team.
After the expiration of the five-year contract, Joseph signed two two-year deals to remain with the Texans. In 2018, he turned in one of the better seasons of his career, notching 58 tackles, two interceptions, and a touchdown en route to a top-10 ranking in Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. That performance led Houston to reward Joseph with a raise, but he was not nearly as effective in 2019.
Nonetheless, even cornerbacks on the back nine of their careers can still attract plenty of attention on the open market, especially those with track records like Joseph’s. And Mark Berman of Fox 26 hears that Joseph, 35, could still return to the Texans after he has seen what other teams have to offer (Twitter link).
But in the meantime, Houston will search for an upgrade. The Texans were interested in trading for Broncos CB Chris Harris prior to the 2019 deadline, and Troy Renck of Denver7 says the team is again showing strong interest in Harris — who is now eligible for free agency — this offseason (Twitter link).
In a career that has spanned exactly 200 regular season contests, Joseph has accumulated 755 tackles, 194 passes defensed, and a healthy seven pick-sixes. He has earned over $80MM between the Bengals and Texans.