Andrew Johnson has asked to be traded out of Houston. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)
Andre Johnson spent months away from the team and ultimately decided his future is not with the Houston Texans.
The 33-year-old wide receiver requested a trade and will not report to training camp after skipping offseason workouts and minicamp, NFL Network reported Thursday.
Johnson has three years and $31.5 million in base salary left on his contract but does not want to be part of another rebuilding project. The Texans are coming off a 2-14 season. NFL Network reported four teams expressed interest in trading for Johnson.
Johnson was subject to a $70,000 fine and foreits a $1 million workout bonus by not taking part in workouts and team activities.
—For the second consecutive year, the NFL’s annual Supplemental Draft came and went without a single player getting selected.
The supplemental draft is very different from the media bonanza that occurs each spring. For one, players have to petition the NFL to be considered. This year there were four players available — New Mexico wide receiver Chase Clayton, North Carolina linebacker Darius Lipford, Virginia-Lynchburg defensive tackle LaKendrick Ross and SMU running back Traylon Shead.
With the draft concluded, each player is now considered a free agent and can sign with any team.
—The NFL hired former Minnesota Vikings and Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk as director of football development on Thursday.
Birk retired after the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII. He played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Ravens from 1998 to 2012. For the past year, Birk worked as an NFL-NFLPA appeals officer.
Birk’s new job will involve developing the game at all levels of the sport from players to coaches to front office personnel, according to the NFL. He also will help with the administration of NFL game day operations. Other duties include the Scouting Combine and Regional Combines, and the annual Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game.
