2:42pm: Johnson’s agent, Kennard McGuire, made a statement today on Johnson’s situation, as Brian T. Smith passes along at the Houston Chronicle:
“I am not refuting, confirming or denying any reports or stories,” McGuire said. “Per the collective bargaining agreement, there’s a period in which veteran players are not allowed to participate or be in their team’s facilities and that period is as such. While I am personally in contact with the Texans organization, those conversations will remain between myself, the organization and Andre Johnson.”
2:05pm: A source with knowledge of the situation tells James Palmer of CSN Houston it’s looking more likely that Johnson will show up later this week when the Texans’ training camp gets underway. Palmer notes that the veteran wideout has spoken to O’Brien several times this offseason.
12:48pm: While there are a handful of players who appear likely to hold out when training camps get underway, none have the résumé that seven-time Pro Bowler Andre Johnson does, and the wideout’s potential attendance at Texans’ camp remains up in the air. ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli reported today that Johnson arrived Monday at the team’s facility in order to learn Bill O’Brien‘s offense, which seems to be a positive sign for Houston. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle both hear from sources that Johnson’s appearance has no significance on whether or not he’ll report for camp on Friday.
Johnson, 33, is frustrated 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, but so far the club has seemed unwilling to make any concessions in the standoff. If Houston does reach a compromise with Johnson, it’s unlikely to come in the form of a trade, as the team reportedly has no interest in such a move.
Jerome Solomon (Twitter links) and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle have both indicated that they expect Johnson to report to training camp, while Rapoport (Twitter link) has expressed skepticism. We should get a little more clarity on the receiver’s status within the next few days, as the Texans’ first practice of the summer is scheduled for Saturday morning.