Andre Johnson is officially retiring as a Houston Texan after signing a one-day contract with the team, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle reported Monday:

NFL News: Andre Johnson to Retire as Texan

The 35-year-old wide receiver spent his first 12 years with the Texans before playing with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans over the past two years.

Johnson announced his retirement in October after playing eight seasons in Houston and recording just nine catches for 85 yards.

In November, Johnson said “it would mean a lot” for him to retire as a Texan, according to Reid Laymance of the Chronicle.

In his career, the wideout totaled 1,062 catches, good for 11th in NFL history, plus 14,185 receiving yards and 70 touchdowns.

The third overall pick in 2003 out of the University of Miami also played in seven Pro Bowls and was named first-team All-Pro twice.

Johnson played and started 169 games for the Texans from 2003-14 and led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 10 of those seasons.

Veteran Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch also announced his retirement on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old played 11 seasons with the Lions, Titans and Philadelphia Eagles, per the Lions’ official website.

The durable Tulloch didn’t miss a start over his first eight NFL seasons. The 5-foot-11, 245-pounder, who was drafted as a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina State in 2006, was well-liked by teammates, and served as captain for both Tennessee and Detroit.

Tulloch led his team in tackles in six separate seasons, and helped both the Titans and Lions reach the playoffs.

It was also announced Tuesday that the 2017 NFL regular-season schedule will be unveiled exclusively on Thursday at 8 pm EST on NFL Network as part of a two-hour long 2017 NFL Schedule Release special.

The 2017 preseason schedule was released last week.

HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 28: Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans catches a touchdown pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter in a NFL game on December 28, 2014 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Less than one week after Arian Foster retired from the NFL, another former Houston Texans star is saying goodbye to the game.

Titans WR Andre Johnson Retires After 14 Seasons In NFL

Wide receiver Andre Johnson told the Tennessee Titans early Monday he is retiring after 14 seasons in the NFL.

Johnson, 35, spent last season with the Colts after 12 extraordinary years with the Texans, who drafted him third overall in 2003 out of the University of Miami. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts before the 2015 season on a three-year deal. He was released after last offseason and then signed a two-year deal with the Titans in July.

The most accomplished player in Texans history, Johnson ended his career with an incredible 1,062 regular-season catches for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns. The seven-time Pro Bowl wideout is 10th all-time in receiving yardage.

His seven 1000-yard seasons are three more than Buffalo’s Andre Reed, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

A giant, 6-foot-3, 219-pound lead pass-catcher with more than enough speed, hand strength and physical characteristics to stop opposing cornerbacks. Johnson was a constant asset on a Houston squad that struggled to pair him with a premier quarterback.

Johnson had nine catches for 85 yards this season, including the game-winning touchdown grab in Tennesee’s 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 2.

Titans general manager Jon Robinson praised Johnson in a statement.

“Going back to his days at the University of Miami, Andre was one of the most impressive wide receivers I’ve scouted,” said Robinson. “He had a professional approach to the game both on and off the field and in my opinion is one of the best to have played the game. … We wish him nothing but the best moving forward in whatever endeavors he chooses.”

After David Carr’s run in Houston, the Texans matched Johnson with quarterbacks like Tony Banks, Dave Ragone, Sage Rosenfels, Matt Leinart, T.J. Yates and Case Keenum. His best years, however, came alongside a younger Matt Schaub, who threw during four of Johnson’s seven 1000-yard campaigns.

Former Texans GM Charles Casserly made the decision to draft Johnson in 2003 and also lauded him during a Monday morning conversation with NFL Network.

“There’s not many players, when you draft them — even when you draft them high — that you figure are going to be Pro Bowl players and dominant players … but Andre did,” Casserly said. “Andre was the biggest, fastest, most-talented wide receiver that I ever scouted. We worked him out at the University of Miami on grass. He ran 4.35. And he played fast on the tape.”

Casserly continued: “To get a guy that big, that fast, that’s a great player — now that’s a rare situation. And on top of it, his work ethic was off the charts. … He was a guy who set the example by the work ethic. How hard he practiced. He went hard every rep, he was top of the charts in the offseason.”

HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 28: Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans catches a touchdown pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter in a NFL game on December 28, 2014 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The 13-year career of wide receiver Andre Johnson will continue into a 14th season. And with defensive back Cortland Finnegan no longer with the team, the decision seemed easy.

Johnson, 34, signed a two-year deal Friday with the Tennessee Titans, according to Adam Schefter.

Tennessee Titans Sign Veteran WR Johnson

After 12 extremely productive seasons with the Houston Texans, Johnson cut ties with the team that drafted him after the 2014 season. He signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in 2015, catching 41 balls for 503 yards and four touchdowns.

Johnson’s signature performance of 2015 came against his former team, in Houston, Oct. 8, when he torched the Texans for 77 yards on six catches with two touchdowns, including the game-winning score.

Tennessee tweeted confirmation of the signing with a welcome message for their new wide receiver.

“We have agreed to terms with wide receiver Andre Johnson,” the Titans posted on their official Twitter account.

Johnson will likely serve in a supporting role, helping to guide a young wide receiving corps stocked with talent.

The Titans have Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Dorial Green-Beckham, Rishard Matthews and 2016 fifth-rounder Tajae Sharpe on the current roster of receivers.

ANDRE JOHNSON CAREER HIGHLIGHT REEL

Johnson can help speed the learning curve for Green-Beckham, Hunter, Wright and Sharpe, with the assistance of the veteran Douglas, whom, at 31, enters his ninth year in the NFL and second with the Titans.

In his 13 previous seasons, Johnson has compiled 14,100 yards on 1,053 receptions, with 68 TDs. Twice named an All-Pro, Johnson has reached the Pro-Bowl seven times in his career.

Now he looks to mentor the young receivers in Tennessee in tandem with young quarterback Marcus Marriota.

Johnson wanted fans and coaches to know he still has the speed to make an impact in the NFL, posting  video to Instagram Thursday, with the comment “#grinding.”

During the offseason, longtime Texan Andre Johnson made the transition to division rival Indianapolis Colts. Overnight, he went from the worst QB situation to arguably the best, but you would not know that by his comments.

“He throws a great ball,” Johnson told ESPN. “Probably the best quarterback I’ve ever played with. I’m excited about the opportunity. I just can’t wait to continue to keep working with him and keep learning.”

The keyword in that phrase is probably. Now, the media, us included, tends to blow things out of proportion. Johnson has always been a very low-key guy and has only caught a few passes from Andrew Luck since joining the team. However, Luck is without a doubt the greatest QB the WR has ever played with, which makes me excited for Johnson’s bounce-back possibilities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLk41LfHUpg

Lets just take a look at the revolving door of QBs during Johnson’s tenure in Houston. Since 2003, he has caught passes from eleven different starters: David Carr, Tony Banks, Dave Ragone, Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, T.J. Yates, Matt Leinart, Case Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Mallett. And this does not even include Tom Savage, Rex Grossman and Jake Delhomme, who did not start but saw playing time.

Just look at this ragtag bunch: I honestly thought there would never be another situation where I would type the names Sage Rosnefels, Tony Banks or Dave Ragone. Meanwhile, he was still able to get 1,012 receptions, 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns. That is a hall of fame feat alone.

So the normally mellow Johnson probably should have been a bit more ecstatic about actually having a set QB. Still, he called the Colts organization “a breath of fresh air,” as his move was more about winning a ring. And he believes that joining Indianapolis puts him in the best opportunity to do so.

During the madness of yesterday, Cortland Finnegan’s retirement fell by the wayside. Finnegan played cornerback over nine years for the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins. He was recently cut by the Dolphins to save $5.475 million in cap space.

Finnegan became know for his bad boy mentality as many recognized him as one of the dirtiest players in the game, a description he thoroughly embraced throughout his career.

As for his retirement, Finnegan is another player that decided to retire over social media, where he released a inspirational quote picture on Instagram with a caption: “Don’t look back, you’re not going that way,” the photo stated.

“Spent 9 years doing something I Loved and it has payed off in so many ways,” the photo’s caption said. “To say I have been blessed is an understatement I am forever thankful.. I have made my share of mistakes and had moments of glory. I even got into a fight in an NFL Game (he hits like a bish). I’m thankful for the friends I made on and off the field, love yAll.. Time to move on and enjoy new people new places and new ideas.. I forgot to thank all the haters, I love yAll to.”

Obviously, the reference to the NFL fight is about the scuffle between Finnegan and Andre Johnson in 2010.

After being at each other’s throats for the entire game, Johnson’s temper boiled over as he ripped Cortland’s helmet off and proceeded to swing wildly at him. Best of all, Finnegan emerged fairly unharmed and proceeded to trash talk him as the two players were separated.

So this final shot at Andre Johnson is classic Cortland Finnegan. And it is great to see that even in retirement, he is as lively as ever. He ends his career with a 2008 Pro Bowl visit, 645 tackles and 18 interceptions.

While the market has calmed down, there still has been plenty of interesting signings over the last few hours. Probably the most expected has to be the official announcement of Andre Johnson going to the Indianapolis Colts, which the receiver unveiled on Instagram.

As announced yesterday, Johnson was traveling with his former college teammate Frank Gore to Indianapolis and it was believed that the seven-time pro bowler would sign a deal with the AFC South team.

And with this acquisition, the Indianapolis Colts just got infinitely scarier on offense. Though they need to address some issues on defense, replacing Reggie Wayne with Johnson was a huge improvement: especially since Andre is three years younger and has fresher legs. His contract is supposedly for 3 years and worth $21 million, according to Josina Anderson. 

On top of this, the Philadelphia Eagles have continued their shopping spree, signing a few key players today. First, the Eagles addressed their running back problem with Ryan Matthews. The deal is currently just waiting to be signed.  But does this really fix their problem? They offered him 3 years and $11.5 million — with $5 million guaranteed — yet Matthews had a significant injury problem in San Diego.

Despite rushing for over 4,000 yards with 23 touchdowns and 4.4 YPA, he has only played in one full season in his entire five year career — missing eighteen games in total. On top of this, while splitting time with Darren Sproles would be ideal, he is not the power back that Chip Kelly wants, making it understandable that the Eagles are still going after DeMarco Murray.

Also, the Eagles offered a big contract to former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell — six years worth $63 million with $25 million guaranteed — and a one-year deal to the former Giants and Seahawks corner Walter Thurmond: Thurmond is now the tenth former Oregon Ducks member to be traded for or signed by Chip.  This would reunite the two defensive backs, who were a part of the “legion of boom” during Seattle’s Super Bowl run.

https://twitter.com/ESPNInsider/status/575721911705038848

As for some of the smaller deals, the New York Jets have finally addressed their quarterback situation. They have given the Houston Texans a conditional seventh round pick for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will instantly compete with Geno Smith for the starting job.

While Fitzpatrick had an up-and-down season in 2014 — which ended with a broken leg — he had some strong outings, including his six touchdown showing against the Tennessee Titans. In twelve starts, he had a completion percentage of 63.1, 2,483 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Also, the Minnesota Vikings signed the former Rams QB Shaun Hill, Raiders signed Dan Williams and Curtis Lofton and the Bengals reached a five-year $26 million deal with offensive lineman Clint Boling.

Every year, the public hears about how athletes gift awesome presents: whether it is for charity or to each other, some superstars know how to give some wonderful gifts. And uSports thought it be fun to look at particular players’ holiday spirits and take notice to their kindness. So here are five athletes in the NBA and NFL who gave some noteworthy presents in 2014.

Jeremy Lin, Los Angeles Lakers

Despite rumors that Jeremy Lin will be traded again, the superstar decided to get all of his Lakers teammates a special gift: customized Beats headphones. The above photo shows that the gold headphones has each player’s nickname on it: with Nick Young’s reading “Swaggy P” and Kobe Bryant’s showing “Black Mamba.”

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

In another act of kindness, star wide receiver Andre Johnson sponsored a Christmas shopping spree for eleven at risk children. The yearly tradition, which is in its eighth consecutive year, gives the children 80 seconds to fill their shopping cart. On top of this, Johnson has been known to also buy the children gaming systems, games and gifts for their siblings. This year’s total was a whooping $16,266.26.

New Orleans Pelicans

In another heart-warming tale, the New Orleans Pelicans with star Anthony Davis gave 75 children a shopping spree at Toys R’ Us. As the Bleacher Report video shows, Davis is a little kid himself: watch him take on multiple little kids in a game of one on one mini-hoop basketball.

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

Photo © Dallas Cowboys.

DeMarco Murray has finished the year with 1,845 yards on 392 attempts and 13 touchdowns. And a large part of his success can be placed on the offensive lineman shoulders. So for Christmas, the Running Back got his protection —  Tyron Smith, Doug Free, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick and Ron Leary — an iMac computer.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Probably the biggest Christmas gift this season has to be from Aaron Rodgers, who spent a truckload of cash on his lineman — including back-ups and practice squad guys — and back-up QBs. On December 24, when the players showed up to Lambeau Field, they each found a 55-inch Samsung curved LED TV, a tablet and Beats headphones.