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Andre Johnson came closer than ever to parting ways with the Texans last offseason.

The veteran wide receiver is already preparing for the potential of an even more contentious 2015 offseason.

During an extended interview last week, the longest-tenured Texan acknowledged he could face a major pay cut next year. Johnson, 33, is set to make $10.5 million in guaranteed money in 2015, while counting $16.1 million against the team’s salary cap.

“Nobody wants to hear that,” said Johnson, when asked if he’s willing to reduce his pay. “But it’s the nature of the business. I’ve seen it happen, heard it happen, had it happen to friends of mine. I understand that.”

An in-depth feature story about Johnson will run in Sunday’s Houston Chronicle.

Johnson’s production has slipped in 2014, while the Texans have played with four quarterbacks. After back-to-back seasons of at least 109 catches and 1,407 yards, he enters Sunday’s regular-season finale against Jacksonville with 75 catches, 802 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson’s 10.7 yards-per-catch is his lowest since 2006, his last year with QB David Carr. Barring a huge Week 17, Johnson will finish will less than 1,000 yards for only the second time in the last seven seasons — he had 492 in 2011, while being limited to seven games due to injury.

Johnson recently said that he plans to play 15 years — riding out a contract with the Texans that runs through 2016 — then retire. The plan follows in line with one described by Andre Melton, Johnson’s uncle and longtime adviser, last spring.

“I hope it all works out, where I can finish my career here and hopefully get this organization a Super Bowl before I retire,” Johnson said. “If it doesn’t, then I’d hate to see it end that way. But you have to just keep moving forward.”

Melton, who’s been a father-figure since Johnson’s birth, said his nephew will reduce his pay if necessary.

“We understand it’s a business and we’re willing to deal with that,” Melton said. “And Andre doesn’t mind having a pay cut.”

But the Texans’ 2015 direction and the team’s ability to quickly turn a 2014 rebuild under first-year coach Bill O’Brien into a Super Bowl contender are also important factors for Johnson, who was at the center of trade rumors last offseason.

“(Owner) Bob McNair said himself (Johnson) is going to retire a Texan,” Melton said. “Well if that’s the case, then we understand that. And if you can put players around him to make it happen, we understand where he’s at in his career. But at the end of the day, if you were going to cut him in 2015 you could have cut him in 2014.”

Johnson said he’s stuck by the Texans this long because he’s always wanted to help create a winner, not join one just to claim a title.

“I tell a lot of other guys now that it was tough going through those (early) years,” Johnson said. “There was times you could’ve easily been like, ‘The hell with it, I’m out of here.’ But I always wanted to build something from scratch. I didn’t want to go somewhere that was already established. It would’ve been nice to win a Super Bowl your first year in but it was something I wanted to work towards.”

Kennard McGuire, Johnson’s agent, said it was impossible to say how Johnson’s contract situation will play out after the 2014 season ends.

“I’ve learned to take it all one step and one day at a time,” said McGuire, who pairs with Melton in representing Johnson. “I couldn’t even begin to forecast how that plays out. You can’t predict anything.”

Melton and McGuire have known each other since Johnson was drafted in 2003. The duo joined forces at a time when Johnson was at odds with the Texans. The receiver has never publicly requested a trade. But the greatest Texan has been through several contract disputes and held out twice in the last four years.

“Kennard came in at a time when (general manager) Rick (Smith) basically just refused to talk to me,” Melton said. “He was just like, ‘I won’t talk to you anymore because you’re not a registered agent.’ And I said, ‘Well, that won’t be hard to find.’ ”

This time around, Melton said Johnson’s future with the Texans will come down to “if the team wants (him) around, if they respect your body of work and what you have done over the course of time.”

“What we want is to avoid this entire situation,” Melton said. “That’s why we went through what we went through last year.”

Johnathan Joseph, Johnson’s closest friend on the Texans, believes No. 80 will never leave the team.

“Knowing the business and just my gut, he retires a Texan. I really don’t see it any other way,” Joseph said. “I know he’s had opportunities to go elsewhere but that’s really just not his makeup. At the end of the day, sometimes you’re forced out. But if he had his chance and it was up to him, he definitely wouldn’t.”

Johnson referred to the Hall of Fame as “football heaven.” But his primary focus 12 years into his career is clearer than ever: Winning a world title in the city he’s already building his retirement house in.

“Bringing that ring to the city of Houston would be so huge for Andre’s career,” Melton said. “It would be ridiculous because they started from nothing. But it’s been so difficult at times, because of whether it’s been quarterback or defense or (a) coaching change or whatever the case may be.”

He added: “Andre hasn’t had a supporting cast like (others) had. And Andre has given everything — his blood, sweat and tears — to the city of Houston and to the organization.”

Johnson’s lack of a consistent proven quarterback has been a recurring theme since 2003. He’s the second-fastest receiver in NFL history to reach 1,000 catches, despite dealing with a revolving door at QB. Johnson put up the best numbers of his career with Matt Schaub (2007-13) but Schaub fell apart last season, while the Texans finished an NFL-worst 2-14. The organization will enter this offseason searching for a long-term answer at the position.

What did Peyton Manning really tell Andre Johnson about being a Texan?

“If he played in a system like (Jerry) Rice played in or if he played with (Tom) Brady or Peyton (Manning), there’s no telling what his numbers would be like,” Melton said. “But to do what he’s done over the course of 12 years with what he’s worked with over that time, at the end of the day, Matt Schaub was the best thing he’s had.”

With reports already surfacing the Texans will force Johnson to take a pay cut or release the receiver, Melton acknowledged his nephew is now “in the position that he didn’t want to be in.”

“They’re going to come in the offseason and say, ‘Hey, Andre: This is what we need to do,’ ” Melton said. “If we can come to some type of common ground with everybody where everybody can be happy, then we’ll work on that, that’ll be fine. And if we can’t, it will be sad to say. … But we’ll see who can give (us) a shot at a ring.”

Update (1:50 p.m. Friday): Johnson told local reporters he Friday hasn’t made up his mind whether he’ll take a pay cut to remain with the Texans.

Twitter: ChronBrianSmith