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The Houston Texans suffered severe injuries to their biggest stars in the 2017 NFL season. Which is why they have been adamant about locking up current key players to long-term deals.
The Texans announced their desire to make defensive end Jadeveon Clowney the highest-paid non-QB in the league. Unfortunately, linebacker Brian Cushing may become a casualty in their attempts to do so, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports:
“Brian Cushing is very likely to be gone, saving about $8 million in the process. As much money as possible needs to be funneled to Jadeveon Clowney, who is entering the final year of his deal at a time when longtime defensive anchors J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus are both trying to come back from major injuries.”
Although Cushing is as solid a linebacker as there is in the league when healthy, his track record with PED's continues to keep him off the field throughout his career. This was extremely evident last season when he was suspended 10 games for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing substances.
Meanwhile, his cap hit for the 2018 NFL season could deter the Texans' chances of getting a deal done with Clowney this offseason. Houston has always made it a point to fortify their defensive line as much as possible. With defensive lineman J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus both coming off season-ending injuries, the Texans have decided to speed up the process of giving Clowney his big payday. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft has registered 113 tackles, 20.0 sacks, and 10 pass deflections in his four-year career thus far
