The Houston Texans reportedly are on the verge of losing a breakout star.
Cornerback A.J. Bouye is expected to leave the Texans and sign elsewhere after NFL free agency begins Thursday, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Bouye, who went undrafted in 2013, is coming off an excellent season with Houston that launched him into the discussion of this offseason’s top free agents.
The Texans primarily used Bouye as a backup over his first three years — appeared in 35 games and started just eight in that span — but he evolved into one of the league’s best cornerbacks on a solid Houston defense in 2016, setting him up for a big payday on the open market.
It’s unclear at this point which team is the front-runner to land Bouye, but it sounds like he’s generating a whole bunch of interest across the league, with each of Houston’s AFC South rivals among the teams reportedly in the mix.
UPDATE (1:40 p.m. ET): The Jacksonville Jaguars are “closing in” on a deal for Bouye, according to NFL Media.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
