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Tytus Howard

Texans Considering LT Cam Robinson Trade

August 26th, 2025 at 8:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Cam Robinson signed with the Texans during free agency in a move which appeared to set him up for left tackle duties in Houston. The veteran blindside blocker could soon be on the move, however.

The Texans have discussed trading away Robinson, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team’s new-look offensive line has been a key storyline through the summer, and second-round rookie Aireontae Ersery has enjoyed a strong camp. If Houston is comfortable with him starting at left tackle, Robinson could be deemed expendable.

Houston gave Robinson a one-year, $12MM deal in free agency. Despite checking in as one of this year’s top free agents, the eight-year left tackle starter (with Jacksonville and Minnesota), Robinson does not look to have beaten out Ersery — added a month after the veteran’s Texans commitment — for the LT job. Schefter points to Ersery being set to start in Week 1, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson also indicating that will be the case.

Wilson adds the Texans — who made a host of offseason moves along their O-line — are likely to roll out a starting quintet that includes Ersery, Laken Tomlinson, Jake Andrews, Ed Ingram and Tytus Howard up front. That would mean the Texans will have one returning starter (Howard) from last season. Howard has bounced around Houston’s O-line during his career, but after being pegged as more likely to stay at guard, a shift back to RT looks likely.

After struggling to protect C.J. Stroud during a disjointed offensive season, the Texans’ O-line received a makeover. The team traded Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green, releasing Shaq Mason as well. Ingram came over in a trade after being benched in his Vikings contract year, while Andrews — a 2023 Patriots fourth-rounder — did not play a snap last season.

Robinson, 29, has drawn trade interest, according to Wilson. Nothing is imminent, however. He would be an expensive swing tackle if Houston were to pass on a trade, and it would represent the first time the former second-round pick would have entered an NFL season as a backup. The Texans, though, also have 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher as a swing option. Trent Brown has already been released.

Robinson has made 101 career starts, earning two Jaguars franchise tags before being signed to a three-year, $52.75MM extension. The Jags traded that contract to the Vikings last year, going with Walker Little — who signed an extension late in Trent Baalke‘s GM tenure — at LT. Robinson finished last season as the Vikes’ Christian Darrisaw replacement. He could be on the move again today.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

NFL Injury Updates: Fisher, 49ers, Samuel

August 23rd, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Texans right tackle Blake Fisher is dealing with a mild ankle sprain that will sideline him for an indeterminate amount of time, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Fisher suffered the injury in last Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Panthers and missed practice this week. His absence, if it extends into the regular season, will add another wrinkle to Houston’s plans at tackle.

The Texans already overhauled the position this offseason. They traded Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders and replaced him by aqcuiring Cam Robinson from the Vikings. Houston also signed veteran Trent Brown in free agency and drafted Aireontae Ersery in the second round of April’s draft. Along with Fisher and Tytus Howard, who combined to play every snap at right tackle in 2024, the Texans have a variety of options on either end of their offensive line.

Robinson returned to the field this week after missing a few practices with a minor leg injury. He has been splitting first-team LT reps with Ersery. The rookie has been cross-training at right tackle as well, but only lined up on the blind side during the preseason. With Brown still on the physically unable to perform list, Howard has been playing right tackle in camp and sat out both preseason games, suggesting he will start in Week 1. Fisher started both preseason games at right tackle; if his ankle has recovered by the start of the regular season, he’ll likely be the Texans’ swing tackle.

As teams prepare to finalize their initial 53-man rosters by the Tuesday deadline, here is the latest from the injury front:

Texans Offensive Line Positions Starting To Settle

July 5th, 2025 at 4:50pm CST by Ely Allen

A week ago, we dove into some speculation about the potential starters that could emerge from several position battles along the offensive line in Houston. According to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, roles are “starting to sort themselves out for a completely revamped unit.”

To review, the departures of Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green left the Texans with three vacant starting positions: left tackle, left guard, and right guard. Of the two positions with returning starters, the presumed right tackle starter could be moved elsewhere on the line, while the center position will likely have to be won through competition regardless of returners.

Nothing has changed on the situation at left guard. Veteran free agent addition Laken Tomlinson comes to Houston with 10 years of starting experience, all at left guard. He took the most reps at the position throughout the spring, and it appears to be his job barring injury. Similarly, there’s still a strong feeling that Tytus Howard will be a starter on the offensive line, though the team doesn’t know where. Over his six years in Houston, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle. Most of his time in the spring, though, was split between right tackle and right guard, so with Tomlinson at left guard, he’s likely pinned at the two spots on the right side of the line.

At left tackle, the Texans have been shuffling veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson and rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery on the first team. Robinson is likely the expected starter on the blindside, while Ersery appears to cross training at both tackle spots. This means Ersery is also rotating first-team snaps at right tackle. His competition on that side is last year’s second-rounder Blake Fisher, but Zachary Thomas is a new name Bien-Aime throws into the mix here.

Thomas joined the Texans last years after spending half the season in New England and two years before that with the Rams. He doesn’t have any starting experience in the NFL, so it’s interesting to see him getting rotated in with the two youngsters for first-team snaps. Whether they’re just checking every possibility or they lack confidence in their first- and second-year options remains to be seen, but it appears that Thomas has put himself in the conversation. If none of the three work out, Howard can always man the spot, and the new important position battle will be at right guard.

To look for who may start at right guard if Howard isn’t there, one must look to the position battle at center. Jarrett Patterson split time at the position with Michael Deiter in 2023 and then did the same with Juice Scruggs last year. Patterson and Scruggs return for another competition, but they’re now joined by Jake Andrews, a center that Houston claimed off waivers from the Patriots. Any of the three could win the job, and one may assume the best loser will have a good shot at filling the right guard spot, should Howard move back to tackle.

Elsewhere on the offense, Bien-Aime comments on the preferred wide receivers in Houston at the moment. With Nico Collins firmly atop the pecking order and with Tank Dell‘s prospects for playing in 2025 still uncertain, rookie second-round pick Jayden Higgins and veteran trade acquisition Christian Kirk have emerged as likely key contributors.

Higgens, a big-bodied pass catcher out of Iowa State, has reportedly been making plays on some of the Texans’ defensive starters as he develops a new chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. After a down, injury-ruined year, Kirk is hoping his move to Houston will be fruitful. Kirk had already earned the nickname “slot demon” by the end of minicamp by the defense, and he seems to be establishing himself as a reliable safety blanket for Stroud, who was sacked last year more than every other quarterback in the NFL (except Caleb Williams).

With a new group of weapons on the offense establishing themselves and a re-tooled offensive line starting to figure out where everyone fits, the Texans are making quick and necessary progress on their new-look offense full of questions marks. They’ll hope to put together a group that can win its third straight division title and earn its third straight playoff appearance.

Multiple Starting Jobs Up For Grabs On Texans OL

June 27th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

With Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green all missing from the roster in 2025, the Texans had an interesting challenge in filling out their offensive line this offseason. There are lots of new faces, only one returning full-time starter, and according to Mike Jones of The Athletic, almost every starting job appears to be up for grabs.

The lone returning full-time starter is Tytus Howard. While he’s likely certain to be destined for a starting job, Houston has been working Howard at both right guard and right tackle in the offseason. This isn’t new to Howard, though. Since getting drafted in the first round in 2019, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle for the Texans.

Right guard would be a new position, but Howard has swapped sides and positions for the team frequently in the past. He likely won’t be going back to left guard, though, since free agent addition Laken Tomlinson seemingly has that job locked down.

When Howard’s working at right guard, rookie second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery and last year’s second-round tackle, Blake Fisher, have been splitting snaps at the position. Ersery has also been splitting snaps with veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson on the blind side.

Robinson has spent his entire NFL career as a left tackle, and it’s hard to imagine the team is paying him $12MM this year to sit on the bench. More likely, Robinson is expected to start at left tackle while Ersery is competing for the right tackle job and cross training at left tackle to either prepare for a role as a swing tackle or prepare to start there in case Robinson gets injured. Last year was only the second time in Robinson’s eight-year career that he played in every game of a single season.

The majority of Ersery’s experience at Minnesota was at left tackle; he started one game at right tackle in his COVID-shortened freshman year. Fisher was almost the opposite. His first ever start for the Fighting Irish came a left tackle before starting at right tackle for the rest of his collegiate career. This could give Fisher the edge over Ersery in that position battle, but so far, there doesn’t appear to be a clear leader.

Much like the last two seasons in Houston, the center position seems extremely undecided. In 2023, Michael Deiter and Jarrett Patterson split time at the position, while in 2024, it was Patterson and Juice Scruggs splitting time. Patterson and Scruggs are back to compete for the job in 2025, but the Texans claimed former Patriots center Jake Andrews off of waivers back in April, and he has tossed his hat into the ring, as well.

The good news is that whoever wins the starting job, the Texans should have plenty of depth. The loser of the tackle competitions will be a capable backup, the losers of the center battle will be available to fill in as backups on the interior, and if Howard shifts in across from Tomlinson at guard, trade acquisition Ed Ingram will be a backup with 41 starts under his belt. The bad news is that, if nobody is convincingly winning a starting job, the winner might not pan out as a starter.

In summation, Robinson and Tomlinson likely have the left side locked down. Ersery or Fisher could win the right tackle spot, pushing Howard inside to right guard, but if neither player proves capable of starting, Howard could bookend the line with Robinson with Ersery and Fisher as backups. If Howard isn’t starting at guard, Ingram and the losers of the center battle can compete at right guard, and of course, the winner of the center battle — whomever that may be — with be the center.

Another year, another new-look offensive line in Houston. After allowing the third-most sacks in the NFL last season, it makes sense that they’d want it to look significantly different, but now they have the rest of the summer to determine just what the line will look like in 2025.

Texans To Sign T Cam Robinson

March 19th, 2025 at 10:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

A week after trading Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders, the Texans are bringing in a hired gun at left tackle. Cam Robinson is heading to Houston, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets.

While rumored to be planning to shift Tytus Howard to left tackle, the Texans now appear more likely to keep the versatile lineman at either right tackle or move him back to guard once again. Robinson is signing a one-year deal, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds. It is believed the former Jaguars and Vikings LT will sign for at least $12MM. Unspecified escalators could vault the value to $14.5MM, per Russini.

PFR’s No. 5 overall free agent, Robinson may well have commanded solid multiyear offers. But the experienced tackle will bet on raising his value ahead of 2026’s free agency. The Texans will first see how he fares in Tunsil’s place, adding the eight-year starter on a higher-end one-year agreement that will give them exclusive negotiating rights until next March.

Robinson had seen third contracts handed out to Dion Dawkins, Taylor Decker and Garett Bolles last year. Not quite on that level, Robinson still commanded two franchise tags in Jacksonville. Instead of paying Robinson once again, the Jaguars traded him to the Vikings, who needed a Christian Darrisaw replacement. With Darrisaw due back, Minnesota let Robinson walk. He will join a remodeled Houston O-line.

The Texans traded Tunsil and Kenyon Green and cut Shaq Mason. They have added Laken Tomlinson as a guard starter, and it is worth wondering if Howard will now be moving back inside. The team drafted Blake Fisher in last year’s second round. Unless Houston is keen on letting the Notre Dame alum being a swingman in his second season, a configuration in which Howard slides back to guard to accommodate Fisher makes sense. Robinson, however, now becomes the top blocking piece as the Texans attempt to move C.J. Stroud back on track.

A Howard move back inside would pit Juice Scruggs against Jarrett Patterson for one spot — center. The Texans also acquired Ed Ingram as a potential guard starter. If nothing else, Houston is loading up on potential starting options after back-to-back seasons involving heavy injury trouble along their O-line. Tunsil stayed mostly healthy during this stretch, but he is now in Washington after it became clear he was not at the front of the line for another extension.

Robinson, 29, played out a three-year, $52.75MM extension signed while on his second Jags tag. He worked as Trevor Lawrence‘s primary blindside option (and Gardner Minshew‘s before that). The former Alabama-developed second-rounder has started all 101 games he has played. Pro Football Focus slotted Robinson outside the top 50 among tackles last season, and his 88.2% pass block win rate was not especially impressive. This could have led to some hesitancy on the market. At the same time, less proven options like Alaric Jackson, Jaylon Moore and Dan Moore Jr. scored multiyear deals. Robinson is still doing well on a one-year pact, but this free agency did not exactly play out as expected.

PFF placed Robinson between Nos. 40-50 from 2021-23, and a pattern of unavailability emerged in that span. After stabilizing his career following a 2018 ACL tear, Robinson suffered a torn meniscus late in the 2022 season. He was then suspended for a positive PED test in 2023, and another injury — a knee issue — shelved Robinson during the ’23 campaign. He put some durability doubts to rest last season by logging 17 starts with Jacksonville and Minnesota, but “prove it” vibes are still circulating here ahead of an age-30 season.

As the Chiefs and Titans roll the dice on less proven (but younger) Moores, the Patriots looked into Robinson. New England still needs a left tackle, adding only Morgan Moses (to be their RT). Ex-Jags HC Doug Marrone being in place as the Pats’ O-line coach and the team passing is rather telling.

Robinson will be entrusted to replace a Pro Bowler. The eight-year veteran will come much cheaper than Tunsil, who is on a $25MM-per-year contract. The Texans will go cheaper on their O-line this season, despite Stroud still having a year of rookie-deal control left, as Mason is also off the books. Robinson and Tomlinson will be expected to provide veteran stability in 2025.

To create some cap room ahead of this signing, the Texans also restructured Howard’s contract. By moving most of Howard’s 2025 salary into a signing bonus (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson), Houston created $11.6MM in cap space. Two seasons still remain on Howard’s contract. Three void years are present in the deal, which now includes a 2026 cap hit beyond $27MM.

Vikings Trade G Ed Ingram To Texans

March 13th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cutting Shaq Mason and trading both Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green, the Texans are remodeling their offensive line. A recent second-round pick will also be part of this equation.

Ed Ingram is heading from Minnesota to Houston, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The Vikings will collect a sixth-round pick in this trade, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. One season remains on Ingram’s rookie contract. The trade is now official.

The Vikings were considered likely to either adjust Ingram’s contract or cut him altogether. Instead, they found a trade partner and collected value above the pick-swap level. Minnesota will save $3.4MM by making this trade, and Ingram will secure another chance after being benched last season.

This trade helps bring the Texans’ O-line plan into focus. Most significantly, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports Tytus Howard is likely to shift to left tackle. Roving between left guard and right tackle recently, the former first-round pick has some LT experience from earlier in his career.

As Howard shifts to the other side, 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher is expected to take over at RT. Reuniting with DeMeco Ryans, Laken Tomlinson is expected to man one guard spot after signing a one-year, $4.25MM deal that can max out at $5MM. Ingram may not be guaranteed another, as Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson — whichever player does not become the team’s starting center — will be in the mix for the other guard post.

Ingram, 26, has made 41 career starts. The LSU alum won the Vikings’ starting right guard job out of training camp in 2022 and held it throughout the 2023 season. Last year, however, Minnesota parked the struggling blocker before Week 11. Ingram did not play an offensive snap after that point. Pro Football Focus graded Ingram 66th among guard regulars last season. The advanced metrics site was kinder to the former No. 59 overall pick in 2023, ranking him 38th, but this trade continues to frame the Vikings’ 2022 draft as a dud.

The Vikings chose safety Lewis Cine in Round 1; they cut him last year. Minnesota took cornerback Andrew Booth several spots before Ingram in Round 2 that year; they traded him for a player (DB Nahshon Wright) they cut weeks later. While Wright remains on a reserve/futures deal, Minnesota has achieved success largely in spite of its first Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft. Ingram has been the most successful of the Vikes’ top three picks that year, and he will attempt to rebound in Houston.

In part because Ingram did not pan out in the Twin Cities, the Vikings signed Will Fries to a five-year contract. Fries joins ex-Colts teammate Ryan Kelly as starters-to-be with the Vikes, and this duo gives Minnesota four veteran contracts along its offensive line. The team has Brian O’Neill at $18.5MM per year and gave Christian Darrisaw a $26MM-AAV extension last summer.

Howard replaced an injured Tunsil at LT during the second half of the 2021 season, impressing at the position en route to Houston picking up his fifth-year option and then extending him a year later. As Howard again moved inside last season, Fisher logged 291 snaps at RT as a rookie. The Texans appear set to move the Notre Dame product into their starting lineup on a full-time basis soon.

The Texans designated Mason as a post-June 1 cut, which will spread out the $12.48MM dead money over two offseasons. The twice-traded guard had started two years for the Texans, but a knee injury ended a lengthy ironman streak last season. Mason, 31, will be on the lookout for a fourth team.

OL Notes: Bolles, Chiefs, 49ers, Texans, Jags

December 15th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a second time, the Broncos allowed Garett Bolles to play deep into a contract year before extending him. After the sides previously reached an extension agreement in November 2020, Bolles inked his second Denver extension days before the team’s Week 15 game. Talks did not begin until recently. The sides did not begin to discuss a new deal — one Bolles had begun to lobby for back in 2023 — until after the Broncos’ win over the Browns, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. While Bolles held Myles Garrett without a sack, the Broncos’ upcoming bye week presumably had more to do with the timing of the negotiations.

Bolles is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid left tackle. Like recently extended edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, he may well have done better by reaching free agency. But Bolles wanted to stay with the team that drafted him back in 2017. The four-year, $82MM contract includes $23.7MM guaranteed at signing and features a similar guarantee structure to the one Mike McGlinchey secured. If Bolles is on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base salary becomes guaranteed, per OverTheCap. As the Broncos have part two of Russell Wilson‘s dead money due in 2025, they have predictably backloaded Bolles’ deal. This is a rather extreme effort, as five void years (through 2033) are attached to this deal. Bolles will count $5.8MM on Denver’s 2025 cap and just $9.2MM in 2026; the cap hits balloon past $20MM after that.

Here is the latest from the NFL’s O-line situations:

  • Unable to find a reliable left tackle since letting Orlando Brown Jr. leave in 2023, the Chiefs are going with an emergency plan today. With recent signee D.J. Humphries declared out due to a hamstring injury he sustained in his Kansas City debut, the Chiefs are kicking Joe Thuney to left tackle. The left guard saw time at LT against the Raiders, who were besting second-year blocker Wanya Morris. Rather than go with Morris, the Chiefs are using Thuney at LT and backup Mike Caliendo at LG, per ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. This will cut into the Chiefs’ elite inside trio, but with the team seeing Patrick Mahomes hit with more frequency in recent weeks, it will use this patchwork adjustment to stem the tide. A 2023 UDFA, Caliendo is making his first career start.
  • On the same note, the Texans are making a change. Right tackle Tytus Howard is moving back to left guard, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Both center Juice Scruggs and left guard Kenyon Green are out. As a result, Howard will return to the position he primarily played last season. Howard has shuffled between tackle and guard as a pro; prior to his 812-snap 2024 at RT, he played all 408 of his 2023 snaps at LG. Second-round pick Blake Fisher is in at RT.
  • Trent Williams‘ recovery from an ankle injury has proven “a lot” slower than the 49ers expected, Kyle Shanahan said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). The team is not ruling him out for the rest of the season. That said, San Francisco is now 5-8; shelving the All-Pro the rest of the way would make sense. Williams, 36, secured significant guarantees via a September reworking. He has not indicated a 2025 return will commence, but his through-2026 contract contains enticements to come back.
  • The Bears should be likely to be shoppers to fortify their O-line’s interior in 2025, with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs rating that area atop the team’s list of needs. Chicago whiffed on Nate Davis and devoted low-end money to center. Left guard Teven Jenkins is a free agent-to-be who has not engaged in substantive extension talks.
  • Like Bolles, Walker Little secured an extension recently. The Jaguars revealed their long-term left tackle plan, post-Cam Robinson, by signing Little to a three-year, $40.5MM extension. The first two years of Little’s deal are fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. That comes out to $25.94MM. Although his 2027 salary is nonguaranteed, the 2021 second-rounder did well on the guarantee front as he bypasses free agency.

AFC Restructures: Howard, Mason, Wilson

April 3rd, 2024 at 7:48pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans front office did some work recently to help with their cap situation. The bigger of their two recent moves saw them address the contract of veteran offensive tackle Tytus Howard, per Field Yates of ESPN.

Howard agreed to a restructured contract in which Houston converted $12.88MM of his 2024 base salary (originally worth $14MM) into a signing bonus. The Texans also added two void years onto the end of his existing deal. The adjustments to his contract resulted in the clearance of $10.3MM of cap space for Houston.

Here are a few other restructured deals seen recently around the AFC:

  • Houston also adjusted the contract of fellow offensive lineman Shaq Mason, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The new deal saw the Texans convert $8.04MM of Mason’s 2024 base salary (originally worth $9.25MM) into a signing bonus while, once again, adding two voidable years to the end of the contract. The resulting changes added an additional $6.4MM to Houston’s salary cap space.
  • Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald informed us that a restructured deal was also underway for Patriots cornerback Marco Wilson. The new contract is a one-year, $1.2MM deal with $600K of guaranteed money, including a $300K signing bonus. The restructure results in approximately $750K of additional cap space for New England. Wilson’s new deal also contains a $200K workout bonus, $500K in potential per game active roster bonuses, $416K in incentives that are likely to be earned, and $750K in incentives classified as not likely to be earned.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/29/23

November 29th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

After missing the Cardinals’ last six games on injured reserve, Wilkinson is now on track to return to his starting left guard post this season. Arizona has used a mixture of Trystan Colon and Carter O’Donnell to fill the spot in the interim.

King found his way to the Texans’ practice squad after being waived by the Steelers and was elevated to game action last week. After starting 25 games for Houston in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, King will be a welcome addition back to the active roster.

Hardee has missed six games with a hamstring injury. The Pro Bowl special teamer returned to practice today alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Schweitzer. Schweitzer was one of several offensive linemen in New York who sustained injuries earlier this year, but after missing the four games required of an IR stint, Schweitzer is working to return, as well.

Texans’ Tytus Howard Out For Season

November 29th, 2023 at 8:35am CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans made Tytus Howard a key component of their offseason, handing the fifth-year offensive lineman a lucrative extension. The resurgent team will not see the former first-round pick finish out the season.

After suffering a knee injury in Week 12, Howard is expected to miss the rest of the season, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Tests have revealed Howard will need surgery. Howard did well to secure a high-end contract this summer, but this represents a blow to a Texans O-line that has already absorbed a few this year. Specifically, Howard has battled a patellar tendon issue for the past few weeks, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adding the injury worsened Sunday.

Houston began the season without Howard, placing its starting right tackle on IR to start the season. Howard had undergone hand surgery. But the Texans used one of their IR activations on the 2019 draftee. Having signed George Fant in the wake of Howard’s hand injury, the Texans slid Howard to guard — a position he played at points during his rookie contract. The team has already lost three interior O-linemen — including guard starter Kenyon Green, a 2022 first-rounder — for the season. Howard joining that list doubles as the biggest blow this battered unit has sustained.

Houston is committed to Howard, who has played a few positions over the course of his career. The team gave Howard a three-year, $56MM accord. That pact came with $36MM guaranteed at signing. The Texans had drafted the Division I-FCS product during Brian Gaine‘s short run as GM, but Nick Caserio made him part of an offseason O-line blueprint. The Texans extended Laremy Tunsil and gave Shaq Mason a new deal after trading for him. The O-line fortifications have helped C.J. Stroud rocket to the Offensive Rookie of the Year lead and have played a major role in the No. 2 overall pick elevate into the MVP race.

In addition to Kenyon Green, the Texans have lost Scott Quessenberry — their primary 2022 center starter — and late-summer trade pickup Kendrick Green for the season. The team activated second-round pick Juice Scruggs just last week; the Penn State alum had missed nearly three months due to a hamstring injury sustained during the team’s preseason finale. Rookie Jarrett Patterson, who has been Houston’s primary center this season, is also on IR.

Pro Football Focus has viewed Howard’s move back to guard as a somewhat challenging odyssey, slotting him 69th at the position. Months before the Texans traded for Tunsil, they drafted Howard to play right tackle. Howard began his career there but played 10 games at guard to open the 2021 season. He then upped his stock by faring well replacing Tunsil at left tackle. Tunsil’s 2022 return slid Howard back to right tackle, and he played well enough to earn a top-five RT contract. At guard, Howard’s $18.6MM-per-year deal ranks third overall.

With Fant on a one-year contract, Howard may well be back at right tackle by the time he is healthy again. For now, Tunsil and Fant remain at tackle. Scruggs replaced Howard at right guard against the Jaguars, with free agent signing Michael Deiter remaining at center. After Scruggs missed 10 games to start his career, the No. 62 overall pick may be set to start his first game — at a position he was not drafted to play. The Texans also have trade acquisition Josh Jones, who has played both tackle and guard as a pro, as an option opposite Mason.

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