The Houston Texans and Johnathan Joseph have agreed to part ways, allowing the cornerback to enter free agency.

The 35-year-old cornerback has spent the last nine seasons with Houston.

"Johnathan has been a consummate professional, team captain and one of the leaders of our defense for the past nine years," the Texans said in a statement. "It is rare for a player to sustain such a high level of play for over a decade and that says so much about him and his dedication to the game.

"He is an exceptional teammate, mentor, husband and father. His impact on and off the field makes him quite possibly the most celebrated free agent signing in franchise history. The entire Houston Texans organization thanks Johnathan for the contributions he made to our team and the Houston community. We wish him and his family all the best as he pursues free agency."

Joseph played fewer than 60% of the team's snaps in 2019.