The Texans have signed former Bengals defensive lineman Devon Still to a reserve/futures contract, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Because the Texans’ season isn’t over yet, the team can’t sign its practice squad players to futures deals yet, but it can lock up a player like Still, who wasn’t on any club’s roster or practice squad when the season ended.

Still, who hasn’t made a start in his three-year NFL career since being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, nonetheless became a fan favorite in Cincinnati and around the league as his young daughter, Leah Still, battled cancer. Leah went into remission from neuroblastoma in March, and Still announced just over a month ago that she was cancer-free.

Still has yo-yo’d between the Bengals 53-man roster and practice squad in the past, but was no longer eligible to join any team’s practice squad after Cincinnati cut him loose in September, so he has been a free agent since then. On the field, Still saw a career-high 237 defensive snaps as a part-time player for Cincinnati in 2014, recording 19 tackles and a pair of quarterback hurries.

Having worked out for several teams throughout the season, including the Texans just last week, Still had been expected to land a futures contract once the regular season came to an end. The contract will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

If you enjoy this website on your smartphone or tablet, you’ve got to download our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

• All the articles from Nerdy Football, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our three sites. Not into all three sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
• Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
• Notifications! For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
• Commenting! You can now read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
• Customer service! If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
• Did I mention Trade Rumors is a FREE app? What do you have to lose? Download now!

Wide receiver considering all options

ALLEN PARK — Could it really happen to the Detroit Lions again? Could their biggest star just walk away? It appears possible. Star receiver Calvin Johnson issued the following statement on the heels of multiple reports that he was mulling retirement at the age of 30 — drawing shades of Barry Sanders, who hung ’em up at age 31. “Like many players at this stage of their career, I am currently evaluating options for my future,” Johnson said.
(mlive.com)

Nerdy Football Analysis: Calvin Johnson figures to be one of the central storylines of the offseason as both he and the Lions are weighing their options heading into next year. Johnson comes with an $11 million cap hit next season the team must entertain the notion of either trading their superstar or cutting him altogether. Johnson still has four years remaining on his deal and injuries have become a real threat to his effectiveness. Expect this story to develop after the playoffs once the off-season officially begins.

After several days of deliberation and speculation, Sean Payton has decided to remain in New Orleans as the Saints’ head coach, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Payton confirmed today at an afternoon press conference that he’s not going anywhere, adding that he hopes to spend the rest of his career with the team.

Despite the fact that he was the only possible candidate who already held a head coaching position, Payton’s name has been mentioned as frequently as anyone’s this week, as rumors swirled about the possibility of him leaving New Orleans for one of the six teams with a head coaching vacancy. Although he wasn’t linked to every open job, Payton was viewed as a viable candidate for the 49ers’ and Giants’ jobs, among others.

After leading the Saints to five playoff berths and a Super Bowl in his first seven seasons with the franchise – not counting the 2012 campaign, during which he served a year-long suspension – Payton has seen his team finish with a 7-9 record in back-to-back seasons. With Drew Brees possibly entering the final year of his contract and the team potentially entering a full-fledged rebuild, there seemed to be a good chance that Payton or Brees, or both, would leave New Orleans this winter.

Of course, for Payton to leave the Saints, the club would have had to let him out of his contract, which has two years remaining on it. Already one of the highest-paid coaches in the NFL, Payton would’ve likely wanted a raise and an extension if he joined another club, and any deal would’ve required his new team to part ways with some sort of compensation for the Saints, likely in the form of a high draft pick.

While Payton and the Saints are unlikely to confirm whether or not they explored the possibility of the head coach’s departure, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link) hears that multiple teams spoke to New Orleans about that possibility, with Payton’s salary demands acting as a major roadblock.

A report earlier this week indicated that the Colts expressed some interest in Payton prior to extending Chuck Pagano, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that the trade market for Payton was fairly quiet, with the exception of perhaps the 49ers. For now then, despite all the rumors, Payton’s contract and his status in New Orleans remain unchanged, according to La Canfora (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Most discussion and speculation involving Calvin Johnson in recent weeks has centered around the question of whether the Lions will consider cutting the veteran receiver or asking him to take a pay cut this offseason. However, it sounds like there’s no guarantee Johnson will even continue his playing career in 2016.

“Like many players at this stage of their career, I am currently evaluating options for my future,” Johnson said in a statement, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter links). “I would expect to have a decision regarding this matter in the not-too-distant future.”

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press confirms that Johnson has mentioned the subject of retirement to at least one former teammate, and writes that several people who know the 30-year-old believe that scenario is not out of the question.

While it would be a shock if Megatron walked away from the NFL this year, all the wear and tear he has endured over his career has made him consider the possibility, according to Birkett, who notes that the Lions wideout has been plagued by ankle and finger issues in recent years.

Since leading the NFL with 122 receptions and 1,964 yards in 2012, Johnson has seen his production decline a little. Still, he continued to be one of the league’s more productive pass catchers in 2015, with 88 catches, 1,214 yards, and nine touchdowns.

Johnson remains under contract with the Lions for four more seasons, but his deal doesn’t include any more guaranteed money, and his cap hit is set to increase to $24MM+ in 2016. The Lions could nearly cut that figure in half by releasing the former second overall pick, or could create nearly $16MM (the amount of his 2016 salary) in cap savings by cutting him with a post-June 1 designation. So if Megatron does decide to keep playing, he and the Lions may have to agree to a reworked contract, assuming he wants to remain in Detroit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.