The Sports Xchange

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Outside linebacker Justin Houston walked out of the Kansas City Chiefs facility on Dec. 29, the day after the 2014 season came to an end. His shadow has not crossed the team’s threshold since.

As expected going into the club’s three-day mandatory mini-camp this week, Houston was a no-show. It’s the second season in a row he boycotted the Chiefs’ offseason program — OTAs and minicamp.

Last year, it cost him close to $70,000 in fines because he was under contract. This year, there are no fines for Houston because he remains unsigned.

Designated as the team’s franchise player, he has not signed the $13.2 million tender offer that’s been sitting there since early March. Since he’s not under contract, he does not have to show up.

“A couple days ago, I asked him if he was coming (to minicamp),” fellow outside linebacker Tamba Hali said. “He didn’t reply. … He’s doing well, working out, getting himself in shape, preparing to be here.”

Negotiations between the Chiefs and Houston have gone on for 18 months and it appears little progress has been made at bridging a gap that last year appeared to be Grand Canyon-like.

Houston wants to be rewarded for his 22-sack season in 2014, when he led the league and established a franchise record for sacks in a season.

He is looking for J.J. Watt-type money. The Houston Texans defensive end signed a six-year contract extension in September of 2014 for $100 million, with more than half of that total guaranteed.

Houston and Watt came into the league through the 2011 NFL Draft, as the Texans grabbed Watt with pick No. 11 and the Chiefs picked up Houston at No. 70, in the third round.

Both are entering a fifth season and are 26 years old.

On the field, Houston in 59 games has 48.5 sacks, 234 total tackles and three Pro Bowl berths.

Watt has played 64 games with 57 sacks, 295 total tackles and three Pro Bowls.

In the interest of full disclosure, Watt also caught three passes, all for touchdowns while playing on offense and also scored one safety and on touchdown on an 80 yard interception return.

The sides must have a long-term contract signed by July 15, or Houston will have to play for that franchise number. He also has the opportunity to stay away from training camp, the preseason and even the first 10 games of the regular season. That way he would still earn his fifth season of play.

But staying away from the team until late November would cost Houston $7.7 million of that $13.2 million. It would also not guarantee him unrestricted free agency in 2016, since the Chiefs could franchise him again at 120 percent of the 2015 franchise number.

His teammates have shrugged off the contract stalemate with their public comments. Head coach Andy Reid has been through these types of standoffs many times during his 17 seasons as head coach.

“I don’t really get caught up in all that stuff,” Reid said. “We just move on.”

–Inside linebacker Derrick Johnson is back on the field working with the Chiefs’ No. 1 defense this week, after missing the better part of two weeks because of knee inflammation.

Johnson said the time off has left him feeling refreshed after what was nine months of rehab from his ruptured Achilles suffered in the 2014 regular season opener.

“I’m feeling good; those days off really helped me,” Johnson said after the second of three practices in the Chiefs minicamp. “If I can stay healthy, I can help this team.”

Johnson said he is not sure what caused the swelling on his knee, but he was not told there is anything structurally wrong with his knee that might require some type of procedure.

“I think it was getting back to football,” Johnson said of his knee. “It was going from doing drills, to playing football. It wasn’t a big scare. It was just a little swelling; old age. But I’m good now.”

If he can stay healthy, Johnson will become the leading tackler in Chiefs history sometime early in the 2015 season. The record is held by linebacker Gary Spani, who finished his nine-year career in 1986 with 999 total tackles. Johnson has 981 tackles going into his 11th season.

“That would mean a lot; it lets you know all the hard work paid off,” Johnson said. “I’m going to take advantage of the opportunity when it comes.”