The Facts: When the Texans informed Johnson that he would be an afterthought in Bill O'Brien's offense this season, the franchise icon laughed his way to the top of the division in Indianapolis. Texans owner Bob McNair said this week that he wasn't surprised at Johnson's reaction because it's human nature for athletes to go into denial in the twilight of their careers. "Every athlete I think would like to play forever," McNair said. "They never want to acknowledge that they've lost a step or they can't quite do what they did before. Just look at history. Look at all the players. It just happens time and time again."

Diehards Line: While it's a bit of a surprise to hear McNair say it publicly, the point is taken. As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling noted, a potential Hall of Famer, Johnson was the best receiver in the game at his career apex. A superstar of that magnitude wouldn't have taken a backseat to an up-and-comer like DeAndre Hopkins if he hadn't lost a step. But there were other factors involved. Was Johnson's decline in production purely the onset of physical attrition? Or was it just as much about a changing role in a new offense with a four-pack of scattershot QB? Whatever the case, it's hard to argue Wesseling's contention that Johnson isn't going to accept McNair's appraisal at face value. The Colts believe Johnson can return to that elite 2012-2013 level catching passes from Andrew Luck, easily the best quarterback of his 13-year career. And having a big chip on his shoulder won't slow Johnson down any more than age.