Déjà vu all over again. In 2024, the Houston Texans finished 10-7 and won the AFC South for the second straight year. For the second consecutive year, they won a first-round playoff game, and once again bowed out in the divisional round.
One of the club’s biggest shortcomings this past season was an offensive line that did little to slow down opposing pass rushers. While newcomer Joe Mixon spearheaded the NFL’s 15th-ranked ground attack, only the Chicago Bears (68) and Cleveland Browns (66) allowed more sacks than DeMeco Ryans’s club (54). Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud absorbed 52 of those QB traps.
Not surprisingly, Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus ranked Houston’s offensive line as the fourth-worst in the NFL in 2024. He did have high praise for left tackle Laremy Tunsil: “Despite the struggles of those around him, Tunsil remained one of the best pass-blocking offensive linemen in the NFL. His 88.6 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked fifth among offensive tackles in 2024.”
Texans add Trent Brown in offensive line revamp
Earlier this month, Tunsil and a fourth-round pick this year were stunningly dealt to the Washington Commanders for a pair of selections in both 2025 (third- and seventh-round) and 2026 (second- and fourth-round). General manager Nick Caserio also dealt guard Kenyon Green, a first-round pick in 2022, to the Eagles and acquired safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The teams will swap sixth-round picks in 2026.
Also gone are guards Shaq Mason and Kendrick Green. The former was the team’s main starter at right guard the past two seasons and was released, while Green signed a free-agent deal with the Bills.
As for the additions, tackle Cam Robinson (Vikings) and guards Laken Tomlinson (Seahawks) and Ed Ingram (acquired from Minnesota via trade) have now been joined by a seasoned veteran who could possibly challenge for the right tackle spot.
Trent Brown has 10 NFL seasons under his belt with four different franchises. He was a Super Bowl champion with the Patriots (LIII) in 2018, and a Pro Bowler with the Raiders in 2019. Unfortunately, Brown is coming off a season in which he started at right tackle for the Bengals for the first three games before going down for the rest of the season.
That’s a lot of departures, as well as a lot of new faces. It will be interesting to see how it all shakes out and if the team can put together an effective unit. Otherwise, it’s going to be another painful year for Stroud.