The Texans released Gardner-Johnson on Tuesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
The move comes despite Gardner-Johnson playing at least 94 percent of the Texans' defensive snaps in each of the first three games of the regular season, during which he accumulated 15 tackles (11 solo). Gardner-Johnson will explore his next options and should garner interest from teams looking to solidify their depth at safety. M.J. Stewart is a candidate to start at safety alongside Calen Bullock following Gardner-Johnson's release.