Brian Cushing will not be a member of the Houston Texans next season.
The Texans notified Cushing, the franchise all-time tackling leader, they will be moving forward without him, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle was the first to report the news.
Cushing’s imminent release isn’t shocking. He was suspended for 10 games in 2017 after violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing supplements for the second time in his career. His play on the field was deteriorating, as Cushing had only produced one 100-plus-tackle season and only played a full schedule of 16 games once since 2012. Considering Houston is saving $7.6 million by cutting Cushing, the writing was on the wall even before the new league year on March 14.
“It’s all good,” Cushing told McClain of his forthcoming release. “It’s part of the business.”
Cushing, the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009, registered 664 tackles with the Texans in his nine-year tenure with the club. In the franchise’s all-time record book, he ranks top 10 in interceptions, forced fumbles and sacks.
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