HOUSTON — Houston Texans safety Lonnie Johnson is in the midst of career season, and his on-field production has him in the middle of trade rumors ahead of the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline.
But despite his play, Johnson found himself benched in favor of Terrence Brooks, Sunday afternoon, during the Texans’ 31-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The decision to bench Johnson came as a surprise given how well the 25-year-old has played, but coach David Culley said the two safeties are interchangeable.
“That was just because of the scheme that we were playing,” Culley said during his post-game press conference. “If the strength was one way instead of moving them left and right, we just kept them to the same side. One guy was up, and one guy was down, depending on what we were calling and what they were running.”
The benching of Johnson may have played a significant role in the Texans’ loss — more so the secondary’s slow start to the game.
Prior to leaving the Week 6 match with a chest injury, Brooks gave up a 51-yard touchdown reception to Colts’ wide receiver Parris Campbell, giving Indianapolis an early 7-0 lead over the Texans.
Following the game, Culley announced that Brooks sustained a lung contusion and will not play against the Texans’ Week 7 match against the 6-0 Arizona Cardinals.
Johnson made the substitution for the injured Brooks, but did not give any indication on if he will start against the Arizona Cardinals.
Through the first six games of the season, Johnson has recorded 26 tackles and a career-best two interceptions.