Tag: Tytus Howard contract

Texans OC Bobby Slowik praises Tytus Howard for position switch

Tytus Howard’s move to guard might have benefitted the Houston Texans’ playoff chances.

Tytus Howard is all about helping the Houston Texans win down the stretch. It’s why the “tackle only” is breaking his rule to shift inside for potentially the rest of the regular season.

Howard has taken over at left guard for the second time in as many years while helping Houston secure a second AFC South title. Second-round pick Blake Fisher is now starting at right tackle, thus bolstering the pass protection entering Week 16.

Howard impressed in the 2012 victory over the Miami Dolphins, allowing three pressures and one sack. His 69.0 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus marked his second-highest finish of the 2024 season.

Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik praised Howard’s willingness to step in for Juice Scruggs amid injury. Without his impact, the Texans might not have clinched the AFC South division title before traveling to Arrowhead Stadium with a showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I can’t say enough how much credit I give Tytus for being willing to go to right tackle to left guard. Not only are you sliding in but you are switching sides, that is a massive move,” Slowik said.  “For him to be able to do that and play the way he did was awesome.”

The Texans kick off against the Chiefs at noon CT. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

Texans OL Tytus Howard feels like ‘official Houstonian’ following Hurricane Beryl incident

Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard only needed five years to become a Bayou City native.

Tytus Howard is officially a Houstonian. Who knew after five years with the Texans that he still didn’t feel like a native of the Bayou City?

That changed following the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl on Monday afternoon.

The Texans’ veteran offensive lineman and former first-round draft pick posted photos and videos of his truck submerged in water early on Wednesday to his X account. He also posted a video of his rescue, with multiple Houstonians helping him pull the lifted truck out of the water and into the nearest gas station.

As a reward, Howard provided the heroes with a case of Modelo and celebrated in the parking lot before taking off.

Howard is back in the lab while preparing for the start of training camp next week after suffering a season-ending knee injury in late November. The Texans believe Howard will be good to go for live reps beginning next month and plan to start him at tackle.

Fresh off its first division title, Houston has a backup plan should Howard miss time during the 2024 campaign. With their second second-round pick, the Texans drafted Notre Dame’s Blake Fisher, who started 26 games at tackle for the Irish over three seasons.

Much like his truck, Howard is expected to fully recover after undergoing surgery this offseason in his home.

“He’s doing well,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We should get him back for training camp.”

And yes, Houston is officially now his city.

Tytus Howard extension validates Texans’ belief in HBCU standout

Tytus Howard has proven the Houston Texans correct with his contract extension.

HOUSTON — As the 2019 NFL draft approached, many Houston Texans fans flooded social media and the radio airwaves, screaming to whoever would listen that they wanted the team to trade up and select Washington State offensive tackle Andre Dillard.

Many believed that the First-Team All-Pac-12 selection would help solidify the line and protect the future franchise quarterback, who had led the league with 62 sacks the season prior.

When the Philadelphia Eagles picked Dillard at No. 22 overall, the majority of the fan base erupted with anger because former Texans general manager Brian Gaine and coach Bill O’Brien failed to move up in the draft to take a lock at tackle. Instead of climbing the draft board, the Texans stayed in their spot and selected offensive lineman Tytus Howard.

Before the Alabama State product could take a snap in an NFL uniform, fans criticized and ridiculed Howard primarily due to a lack of familiarity with the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Texans knew what Howard had to offer the entire time.

“Our scouting department did a wonderful job here evaluating him,” said Gaine after the first round of the draft about Howard. “Our scouts were on him as early as August when we were visiting the training camps. He’s going to be a good addition to the offensive line room. He’s going to be a very good addition in terms of the football personality in the offensive line room.”

Howard knew that many fans had reservations about him, but his way of combating that is what it has always been when he has been doubted, and that is to go to work.

After his rookie season, Howard was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team. In his four years as a starter, Howard has played every position on the offensive line except center. Before training camp began, he was rewarded for his versatility and dependability with a three-year, $56 million extension with $35.6 million guaranteed.

Not bad for a former high school quarterback and walk-on tight end at Alabama State.

“I feel good,” Howard said with a smile when asked about his extension. “I pride myself in being a Texan. I feel like I want to be here my whole career. I love it here – the team, the camaraderie. This year has just been outstanding [and] I just knew I wanted to be a part of that. I see something good here building. I’m here for the future.”

Howard knows that his new contract will help him care for his family, including his wife and two kids, for generations to come.

It will also be instrumental in giving back to the one person responsible for getting him to this level by constantly encouraging him to keep pushing despite the odds, his mother, Teresa Rivers. She contacted former Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow, looking for an opportunity for Howard.

He was invited to walk on and made the best of it by earning a full scholarship before the end of his freshman year. Howard was a three-year starter and captain during the rest of his time at Alabama State, transitioning from a tight end to an offensive lineman.

“It means a lot,” said Howard when asked about his new contract securing financial stability for his family. “I got to college, and I was 225 pounds. I was a quarterback, moved to tight end. Moved from tight end to offensive line, played offensive line for two and a half years, kind of was safe and then when I got to the NFL, I was moving around.”

“So, I have been doing this my whole career, and I just always learn to adjust. So, to have my family back me up and stay with me through every time I’ve went through in college to the NFL, to be here today to sign a contract and be able to take care of my family, create generational wealth, it means everything to me. Because where I come from, everybody doesn’t have a lot, so to be able to be that one to start it off, it feels good.”

Never one to forget where he comes from, Howard frequently visits his alma mater in Alabama to give back to the institution that helped him get to where he is today. He was honored last season with an eight-foot-high mural of him in his Texans uniform inside the Houston Markham, Jr. Football Complex. The NFLPA also recognized Howard for his contributions at Alabama State and Houston as the 2023 Black College Football Pro Player of the Year.

“It’s been a long journey,” Howard said to the media after practice on Friday. “All I wanted was a chance when I got here, and they gave it to me. The Texans gave me a chance, and I just ran with it, so as a personal feeling, I’m just grateful because everybody in my position doesn’t get a chance to show themselves like I did.

“So, for me to go out and take advantage of it, I [hope] it’s an inspiration to the younger guys who are coming behind me from HBCUs to go out there and know that they can achieve everything they need to do. All they need to do is put their head down and work for real.”

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Texans’ priority must be to extend RT Tytus Howard

The Houston Texans need to extend Tytus Howard, who has been a linchpin for their offensive line the past two seasons | from @JohnHCrumpler

It’s been an expensive offseason for the Houston Texans.

General manager Nick Caserio wasn’t afraid to spend as left tackle Laremy Tunsil signed a record breaking three-year, $75 million extension. Right guard Shaq Mason signed a three-year, $35 million extension, and defensive tackle Maliek Collins signed a two-year, $23 million extension. Bringing in outside talent, nearly $50M were spent on free agent acquisitions such as Robert Woods, Dalton Schultz, Jimmie Ward, and Sheldon Rankins.

The extensions have created a vision of continuity for rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and overall an environment that could welcome success for first year head coach DeMeco Ryans.

Houston now faces one final financial question: should they extend Tytus Howard?

If so when and how much could be too much?

The former 2019 first-round pick is coming off a full season starting at right tackle and entering the final season of his five-year rookie contract. The 2022 campaign was arguably his best to date and he showed marked improvement moving to tackle from the Tim Kelly-guard experiment in 2021. He allowed only three sacks and five quarterback hits according to Pro Football Focus and ranked 41st overall amongst all tackles. On film, he shown as a standout tackle opposite of Tunsil that could more than do his part to keep the quarterback clean.

The tackle market has never been more valued in the NFL and that’s reflected in the most recent free agency period. Teams around the league signed near peers to Howard such as Jawaan Taylor and Mike McGlinchey to deals worth close or equal to $20 million in APY. It’s safe to assume Howard could command top-5 money at his position if he was able to hit the market as a free agent just one year from now. Free agency could also allow Howard to potentially be bid as a left tackle rather than a right tackle by a team wanting to play him at the more premier position of the two. Any contract to play on the left side could easily creep over that $20 million mark set by Taylor and into uncomfortable financial territory for Houston.

In conjunction, this may create a compelling argument for Caserio to re-sign Howard sooner rather than later. The Alabama State legend has already proven himself to be the caliber of tackle that gets paid on the market and another strong year could spell disaster for the number he could command. 

The aspect of time, and the market, create a favorable picture where there’s no need to rush a deal from Howard’s end. On the opposite side, there are team-building components to the equation for the Texans that could make it a priority to sign sooner rather than later.

A simple reason would be that it may be cheaper in 2023 to have Howard on an extension rather than his 5th year option. Howard is currently a $13.9M cap hit and Houston could convert money to signing bonus and potentially lower his cap hit for another free agent addition if they were so interested. That money could be used to add another starting piece to Ryans’ defense or simply allow for more operating room during the season.

To this point, a large part of the discussion has been financial when broaching a Howard extension. There are football considerations too. Mainly, where could Houston find a high caliber tackle to replace him? It was their inability to find talent at the position that ultimately led to the much-lamented Tunsil trade at the end of the 2019 preseason.

The previously mentioned 2022 free agent class were all Day 1 or Day 2 picks during the NFL draft. Every year multiple starting tackles are selected during the first round as teams continue to put an emphasis on protecting their quarterback, there were six selected in 2022 and five in 2023 alone. Is Houston prepared to use Cleveland’s first or their own second round selection in 2023 on the position? Would it be worth compromising their ability to attack receiver or defensive line during the draft? There’s a strong argument the salary cap dollars saved would not ultimately be allocated to a player or position as impactful as Howard.

An extension would solidify Stroud’s protection on both sides and go a long way towards creating continuity in a group Caserio has heavily invested in. Beyond the previously mentioned Tunsil and Mason extensions, projected starting left tackle Kenyon Green was a first-round pick in 2022 and projected starting center Juice Scruggs was a second-round pick in 2023. Stroud would certainly benefit from both strength and continuity from the five lineman that will be tasked to protect him from the vast array of pass rushers he’ll face in the league.

Houston would have one of the most expensive offensive lines in the NFL if they went this route. They’re already spending over 30% of their salary cap, $62.9M, on the offensive line and that number would likely be higher in subsequent seasons. It’s a frightening proposition but one that becomes far more palatable in the context of their situation. They’re set to play at least the next three seasons with Stroud on a rookie contract which allows for major financial flexibility. Ryans and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik want to emphasize the run game in a way that makes a stout offensive line nearly mandatory as they saw employed in San Francisco.

There are currently only seven right tackles that are paid over $17 million APY in the NFL. It’s almost a certainty that Houston would need to step into this territory to secure a deal and there’s little stopping them from doing so with over $100 million dollars in cap space for 2024 at this time according to Over the Cap.

Houston is too talent deprived to let a player of Howard walk, much less waive goodbye to a player that was a true soldier through a very difficult rebuild. This was a team that won only three games during the 2022 campaign and Howard was one of the few players recognized as high-caliber during that tumultuous time. The locker room, football, and financial aspects point to a re-signing that makes sense for the team.

A deal at $18M per year would put Howard in the top-5 highest paid players at his position and could be structured to end in three years as the team faces a deadline to extend Stroud. That length of contract would likely be desirable to Howard as well as he could the market again before going over the age of 30 for another huge potential pay day.

It’s unclear what number Caserio and the Texans would be comfortable at for Howard to sign him long term. It’s even less clear what number could be enticing for Howard to avoid entering a lucrative free agent period next offseason. The only sure thing is that there’s a mutual need between both sides, whether that’s Howard’s well-deserved extension or Houston wanting to protect their rookie quarterback.

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