8:37am: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), it doesn’t sound like the Texans made any monetary promises to Johnson to get him to report — the team simply recruited him back and sold him on its vision.
7:44am: As recently as this week, it was unclear whether or not Andre Johnson would show up when the Texans’ training camp got underway, but according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the veteran wideout has indeed reported. Johnson’s presence doesn’t necessarily mean that his relationship with the team has been totally smoothed out, but it suggests he won’t be holding out this summer.
Johnson, 33, expressed frustration this offseason with the Texans, who are coming off a 2-14 season and are employing their sixth different offensive coordinator since Johnson joined the team in 2003. The former third overall pick skipped the Texans’ voluntary workouts this spring, as well as their mandatory minicamp, and reportedly asked for a trade. However, the team never seemed to have any interest in such a move, preferring instead to mend the relationship with the star wideout and keep him in Houston until he retires.
With Johnson joining Vernon Davis, Evan Mathis, and Justin Houston among possible holdouts who have reported to their respective teams’ camps, it appears for now that Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks and San Francisco’s Alex Boone are the only veterans officially holding out in the hopes of landing new contracts.
According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Texans owner Bob McNair played a key role in getting Johnson to report to camp on time.