Entering this season at the age of 30, linebacker Brian Cushing is in the final year of a $52 million contract extension he signed back in 2012. He is set to cost the Texans $8.5 million in cap room this year.
While this is a big number for an inside linebacker who has lost the bulk of his athleticism to injuries, the Texans can afford to payCushing and utilize him in different ways.
Cushing can be a bridge inside linebacker. What that means is he will help mentor the two young linebackers the Texans have recently spent second round selections on.