Coming off his first Pro Bowl season, Texans center Chris Myers will become an unrestricted free agent on March 13.
The Texans want Myers back, and the feeling is mutual. On SportsRadio 610 AM on Monday evening, Myers was asked about reports that the Green Bay Packers discussed him with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
"News to me, man," Myers said. "I don't know what was going on. I'm just like anyone else reading that type of stuff, but it is what it is. In the long run, I want to be here in Houston, so that's what I've been telling everybody when everyone asks me stuff, and that's what it sums up to be. I want to be here. I want to see things through, and that's the way it is. So that's kind of the bottom line of my thinking."
Myers, 30, was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round in 2005. Texans general manager Rick Smith traded for him for a sixth-round pick in 2008, then signed him to a four-year deal. This is Myers' first foray into unrestricted free agency.
"I've been saying it since the offseason started: I played seven years in this league and I understand it's a business, so when it comes down to it, I guess your wants and needs are gonna be a little bit different," Myers said. "So I just let these next couple weeks play out. This is new territory for me. This is a new field. I've never dealt with unrestricted free agency, so it's a day-by-day thing. I'm feeling it out just like anyone else would for the first time."
Myers has started 64 consecutive games in Houston. He's coming off his best season, leading an offensive line that produced the NFL's second-best rushing attack with a franchise-record 153.0 yards per game. He makes all the calls at the line in the Texans' zone blocking scheme.
The Texans' continuity and chemistry on the line has been critical to their offensive success. Myers, right tackle Eric Winston, left tackle Duane Brown and right guard Mike Brisiel have all started together since 2008. Left guard Wade Smith has been with the group since 2010.
Myers knows there will be interest in his services from other teams in free agency, and he plans to weigh the positives and negatives of his various options if and when that time comes.
"I'm sure I'm going to when it comes to decision time, and luckily I'm not having to worry about it at this second, but you take everything into account," he said. "I've obviously built a lot of friendships and relationships [in Houston], and the team is building on tremendous success this past season and I want to see those things through. I want to be a part of where this organization is heading.
"But like I said before, you've got to be the devil's advocate and understand that at a certain extent, with the way free agency works, you've got to be available to do anything that happens. Because in the long run, it is a business, and those relationships only go so far. Me as being true to myself as I am, I want to remain a Texan, but it is what it is."
Myers was one of three Texans at the Pro Bowl in late January along with cornerback Johnathan Joseph and defensive end Antonio Smith. It was readily apparent to him there that the Texans have earned a "tremendous" amount of respect around the league.
"It's just great to be a part of, and to be able to go out there and represent the Houston Texans organization was pretty darn cool," he said. "I'm sure Antonio and Johnathan will tell you the same thing – on the AFC side and the NFC side, just getting compliments up and down from the team.
"There's only upward to go from here, and it's on us if we let it go. The amount of talent and work ethic that we have on this team is just through the roof. And we understand what it's going to take now to get there, because we got to the second round last year with a lot of adversity. And if we can keep this thing rolling with the same group of guys, there's no telling where we're gonna go."
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