DENVER, CO - AUGUST 23: Wide receiver Andre Johnson #80 of the Houston Texans warms up before a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 23, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. ) Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Houston (CBS HOUSTON) – The Houston Texans released 12 year veteran Andre Johnson on Monday. On Tuesday Johnson gave his first post Texans interview on Boom 92 in Houston.

Johnson said that his 2014 hold out was done to try and be with the team for the long term.

“I just wanted to make sure I was part of the future plans of the team, and if I wasn’t, just let me go on and play somewhere else. I was trying to avoid it. If they were going to make the decision, that they made, why waste a year. If they wanted to make that decision they made they could have done it last year. Of Course they told everyone they wanted me to be a Texan and today I’m not a Texan.”

Johnson thinks that it necessarily isn’t a Texans issue, but an NFL issue as to why he is no longer wearing a bull on his helmet.

“The thing with the NFL is that everybody wants to be young. I’ll be 34 right before the season starts. I think they wanted to get younger at the position, I understand that. It’s a business.”

The process with Andre started when the Texans told him they wanted him to come back in a reduced role, but Johnson didn’t think that was something he would be okay with.

“Me only starting certain games and go down and getting about 40 catches,” Johnson said of what the Texans told him the reduced role would be. “When they told me that I just kind of smirked and was like you can just release me or trade me because I’d be miserable playing in an offense like that. Why would I want to sit on the bench or play only so many plays a game when I could be out there helping the team.”

Johnson led the team in catches with 85 in 2014, followed by DeAndre Hopkins with 76 receptions. The only other wide receiver with double digit catches was Demaris Thomas with 33. There is a lot of questions on who the Texans will replace Johnson with. Johnson doesn’t even know the answer.

“I don’t know, you have to ask them about that,” Andre said about who will replace him. Andre continued, “DeAndre is going to be a great player.”

Johnson would have liked a more upfront approach from the Texans as it pertains to how things were handled with his release.

“I think they just wanted to go in a different direction. I think, to be honest, they didn’t really know how to approach it, they didn’t know how to come to me with it. But it would have just been better if they would have said ‘we just want to go in a different direction.'”

Despite the situation not being ideally handled and Johnson believing he could help the current team Andre had nothing but great things to say about the organization.

“I don’t have any ill will towards the Texans,” Johnson said. “I’m very appreciative of Mr. McNair and Ms. McNair. They took a chance on a kid from Miami. Mr. McNair blessed me in a way that nobody else probably ever will. I am able to take care of my family and put my family in a great position. I don’t have nothing bad to say about the Texans.”

Johnson is probably going to make the Hall of Fame, but when you look at who he’s played with, throwing him the ball, the best is nowhere near who he might play with this year, and Andre is okay with the fact he never had a super star.

“Everybody wants to play with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and stuff like that, but that just wasn’t the hand I was dealt. I just tried to make the best with the team that we had. Everybody is not going to be able to play with the great quarterbacks.”

Where will Johnson go to? He is visiting the Colts on Tuesday, but there is a singular motivation for his choice.

“I am chasing a Super Bowl,” Johnson said. “I mean as for the plans for the season there really isn’t nothing…my big thing right now is getting a ring and hanging my cleats up.”

“It’s about the rings. I feel like everything will work out.”

But it will be a change for a guy who played 12 season for one team. “I don’t think it’s really set in that, to think about playing with another team.”

Johnson said that Houston will be home, no matter where he plays.

“It’s been a great ride. Everybody thinks that I’m leaving Houston,” Johnson said. “But I’m still going to live there. I’ll just be playing for a different team. Hopefully one day I’ll get to play infront of [the fans] again.”

Fans that Johnson said was the best thing about playing in Houston. “Just playing infront of those fans that supported us from day one, when we weren’t that good as a team.”