The Houston Texans have released cornerback Kevin Johnson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The former 2015 first-round pick from Wake Forest was set to make $9.1 million in his fifth season with the team.
As it was the fifth-year option of Johnson’s rookie contract, the Texans won’t be on the hook for any dead money, which is partly why the club let Johnson go.
The 6-foot, 185-pound cornerback appeared in one game for Houston in 2018, getting concussed in Week 1 and ended up on injured reserve. It was his second concussion since the start of preseason, and it was a microcosm of his career with Houston. Since entering the league, Johnson had missed 29 out of a possible 64 games. In other words, the Texans’ first-round pick missed almost two full seasons of games in his four seasons with the team.
With the release of Johnson, it puts a premium on Houston finding answers at cornerback. The offensive line is already a huge need for the Texans, but cornerback is another area that needs to be addressed with the release of Johnson, Kareem Jackson’s expired contract, and starter Johnathan Joseph’s age.
