While Ed Reed may have played seven games for the Houston Texans in 2013, he is no more a Texan than the man in the moon. Therefore, the focus is on true Texans — players who played a decent chunk of their careers with Houston or perhaps helped them win a Super Bowl.
No retired player better exemplifies what the Texans are all about as a franchise than receiver Andre Johnson.
Though Johnson was the inaugural member of the Texans Ring of Honor, would the rest of the NFL world see him as befitting of going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot?
Johnson earned seven Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors in his 12 seasons in Houston. The former No. 3 overall pick from the 2003 NFL draft finished as the NFL’s catch leader and receiving yards leader on two separate occasions, 2006 and 2008. Johnson produced seven seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards and five seasons with 100-plus catches. The one knock on Johnson in that department is he did not ever finish with 10-plus receiving touchdowns, though that could be blamed on bad quarterback play more than anything else.
Presuming that Johnson is going against only receivers eligible on first ballot like himself, former Carolina Panthers wideout presents interesting competition. While Smith was catch leader and receiving yards leader just once in his career, he did manage to lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns — all of those seasons being 2005. Smith was a five-time Pro Bowler and also a two-time first-team All-Pro.
Going with a conservative estimate the the Hall of Fame enshrines seven former players in 2022, one going to a senior member and another going to a contributor, there would be five spots open. It isn’t just receivers Johnson would be going up against for a spot; it’s former New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, ex-Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis, ex-teammate in running back Arian Foster, returner Devin Hester, cornerback Antonio Cromartie, and quarterback Tony Romo.
Wilfork and Ware may be Johnson’s true competition from the 2022 class, but that doesn’t take into account the backlog that could jam things up when it comes time for Johnson to be first-ballot.
Going on the eligible players from 2022 alone, Johnson is no doubt qualified. But who among the other candidates who didn’t get in will keep him from being first-ballot? Only time will tell.
