Texans receiver Andre Johnson wants a new contract. Toward that end, he has hired an agent.
But hiring an agent doesn’t -- and shouldn’t -- change the fact that Johnson remains under contract for five more years.
With or without an agent, Johnson gladly accepted lifetime financial security from the Texans in 2007.
With or without an agent, Johnson became the highest paid receiver in 2007, when signing a deal that gave him $27 million over the first three years.
With or without an agent, Johnson’s deal was destined to be leapfrogged by other receivers.
Though some circumstances will prompt us to deviate from our general belief that grown men must be expected to honor their contracts, hiring an agent after years of avoiding paying a fee to an agent isn’t one of those circumstances. Johnson has a contract, and Johnson has been paid fairly in comparison to other receivers of comparable skill.
That said, the Texans may decide to move some money around in the hopes of making Johnson happy. With five years left on his deal, however, it’s a precedent that could prompt other players to walk into the General Manager’s office and say, “Pay me, Rick.”
Either way, Johnson needs to be prepared to honor his deal -- and to regard anything the Texans may choose to do as a gratuity for which he should be forever grateful.
