HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans' secondary finished second in the NFL in passing yards allowed, and that was without 2015 first-round pick Kevin Johnson at cornerback.

Johnson broke his foot in the Texans' Week 6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. That was his best game of the season, as he registered 10 tackles, including one for a loss, and a pass defensed.

Johnson said he had a Jones re-fracture in his foot, an injury he called "bad luck."

Having watched the Texans defense thrive without him for most of the season, ranking No. 1 in yards allowed per game in the NFL, Johnson is looking forward to seeing what the defense can do next season.

"It's definitely exciting," Johnson said. "I know I'm really determined and I'm really hungry just thinking about next season. Sitting out this past year was a big deal for me mentally as far as knowing how bad I want to be a great player and how bad I want to help this team, so I'm definitely looking forward to it."

With Johnson injured, cornerback A.J. Bouye stepped up, playing his way into a starting role and ranking as one of the NFL's top corners. Bouye also played his way into a big contract this offseason. He will be an unrestricted free agent and might prove to be too pricey for the Texans to bring back.

If Johnson can come back healthy and play at a high level, that would definitely ease the potential loss of Bouye.

"I think we got some great young players on the team and some great veterans," Bouye said. "I think it's a great mix of just youth and experience and I think we have a lot of growth to keep growing as a defense and it's exciting."

Johnson said he expects to be back for OTAs in the spring and is training for those now.

"[I'm] working hard, just training all offseason," Johnson said. "Getting ready for OTAs and all those type of things. Rehab, getting stronger physically. Just basically trying to do anything I can to get better."