Cushing has been informed that he will be released by the Texans prior to the start of the new league year March 14, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Texans will save roughly $8 million against the cap by releasing Cushing, who has performed well below his paygrade the past few years and was suspended 10 games this past season for his second violation of the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Making this an even easier decision for Houston was the emergence of 2017 rookie linebackers Zach Cunningham and Dylan Cole, who evidently combined to make Cushing expendable. The 2009 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year will finish his time in Houston as the Texans' all-time leading tackler and will certainly draw interest from other organizations at a reduced price when he hits the open market.