HOUSTON – Tytus Howard applied his signature, finalizing a life-changing $56 million contract. Months of negotiations culminated with Howard becoming one of the highest paid offensive tackles in the game.
For the former first-round draft pick, it was an emotional moment as he received an $18 million signing bonus and an average of $18.6 million per year and $36.5 million total guaranteed.
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Minutes after spending quality time with his wife and their children on the Texans’ practice field and two days after striking a blockbuster deal to become the fourth-highest paid right tackle in the league, Howard reflected on his growth from a surprise high draft pick from Alabama State to achieving enough success to earn this type of financial commitment. This deal follows an offseason during which Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil became the highest paid offensive lineman in the game for the second time with a three-year, $75 million extension.
Howard’s offers started out at roughly $16 million per year and increased from a $17 million offer to finishing out at $18.6 million and was accepted, per league sources.
“I feel good, man,” Howard said. “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 camaraderi. This year has just been outstanding. I just knew I wanted to be a part of that. I see something good here building. I’m here for the future.
“I’m just entering a phase were I’m homegrown. All I know is being a Texan, it’s the only team I want to play for. I take pride in being here. We’ve got guys like LT] who help take care of me, show me the ropes, but we just want to be here, man. We like being here. It’s a good feeling, man.”
From playing quarterback in high school, walking on at college and gaining 100 pounds and gaining a new position to be selected by former Texans general manager Brian Gaine with the 23rd overall pick, Howard has established himself as a success story.
The Alabama native gained a perspective along the way, and emerged as a top lineman after excelling at Alabama State, a historically black college.
“Yes, sir, it’s been a long journey,” Howard said. All I wanted was a chance when I got here and they gave it to me, man. 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, it’s inspiration to the younger guys who are coming behind me from HBCU’s 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.”
Texans general manager Nick Caserio has made a significant capital investment, devoting financial resources to the offensive line and defensive line this offseason. His biggest signings are across the offensive line, including his latest deal, a three-year, $56 million extension for right tackle Tytus Howard as he received $36.5 million guaranteed with an $18 million signing bonus and an $18.6 million average per year that makes him the fourth-highest paid right tackle in the NFL.
Caserio previously made Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil the highest paid offensive lineman in the league for the second time this offseason with a three-year, $75 million deal. He also traded for offensive guard Shaq Mason, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots starter, and signed him to a three-year, $36 million deal. The idea: stability and power to block for running back Dameon Pierce and protect rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
“We’ve got to have a foundation,” Howard said. “I feel like the line starts the team. We’re the foundation. When we went and drafted C.J., he’s a great quarterback, and for him to take care of the offensive line the way that he did this offseason, it’s a big standard for us.
“We’ve got to go out there and do what we’ve been paid to do, which is protect him and make him the most comfortable quarterback in the NFL this year, so he can just go out there and win us some games.”
And the reinforcement of the line can boost the chances of a likely rookie starter having a comfort zone in the pocket.
“I would say overall we certain put some resources into the offensive line here over the last year or two,” Caserio said. “The expectation is that it comes with performance. Now, the hard work starts. Tytus has earned it.”
The way Caserio, the architect of the Texans’ overhauled roster, has operated is in concert with the philosophy of new coach DeMeco Ryans.
“The line is extremely important to me,” Ryans said. “That’s how you win football games. Your defensive and offensive line, they have to be dominant, they have to dominate the line of scrimmage, we have to be able to stop the run defensively, we have to be able to run the ball offensively.
“It all starts with the men that you have. The offensive line, they’ve been working. Credit to those guys. They’re hard workers. They come in every day, put in the work, detailed in their craft.”
How Howard performed last season reinforced his status as one of the top right tackles in the NFL and set the stage for a long-term financial commitment from the AFC South franchise. One year after securing Howard’s services for the 2023 season with a $13.2 million fifth-year club option, the Texans rewarded the former first-round draft pick from Alabama State.
The Texans had already made significant investments in the offensive line this offseason, most notably with Tunsil’s blockbuster contract. And they drafted Penn State center-guard Juice Scruggs in the second round one year after selecting left guard Kenyon Green in the first round out of Texas A&M.
And, now, Howard has gotten his financial reward
Like all contract talks, it ultimately came down to price and structure as the market for elite right tackles continues to rise.
“Tytus has been a good player for the last number of years,” Caserio said. “He’s a good kid. He works his ass off. He’s tough. He’s competitive. Those discussions, some come together, some take a little bit more time than others. Tytus has earned it.”
Mason got a text message from Howard the night of the deal culminating: “We here.”
It’s an exciting group to work with. We will see, as they continue to build and progress, we’ll see how good we can be there.”
Perhaps the offensive line may pick up the bill at dinners this year?
“I think we’ve got it covered for a little while,” Mason said.
The offensive line has been solidified for now and the future.
It gave the entire team a boost.
“Great feeling, man,” Mason said. “Waking up to that news was big for me, big for the room, big for Tytus as well. He deserved it. I know he’s just going to build off that. Now we’re stable, and it’s time to ride.
“Builds confidence. Builds continuity. Us being together for the next however many years, it’s going to build continuity and know what each other is going to do at each moment.”
The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor to a four-year, $80 million contract this offseason that includes $60 million guaranteed with an $18.9 million signing bonus. Taylor allowed five sacks and had seven penalties with 16 pressures allowed last season and now makes $20 million annually.
The Denver Broncos paid former San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle, Mike McGlinchey, a lot, too, giving him a five-year, $87.5 million deal that includes a $17.5 million signing bonus, $52.5 million guaranteed, and an annual average of $17.5 million. He allowed six sacks and had 10 penalties last season.
The highest-paid offensive tackles in the game, based on average per year, are the Philadelphia Eagles Lane Johnson ($20.187 million), Taylor ($20 million), the New Orleans Saints Ryan Ramczyk ($19.2 million), the Minnesota Vikings’ Brian O’Neill ($18.5 million), McGlinchey ($17.5 million), the Indianapolis Colts’ Braden Smith ($17.5 million) and the Carolina Panthers Taylor Moton ($17 million).
And now Howard is in that group.
“Yes sir, because at the end of the day, if I do what I’m supposed to do and perform at the highest level, then you know the money is going to come,” Howard told KPRC 2 last week. “I don’t stress too much about it because I know if I continue to do what I’ve been doing, I’ve been getting better every year, then it’s going to come. I’m patient. I’m going to keep on bettering myself every day.”
All along the way, Howard planned on remaining in a Texans uniform.
“Yes sir, it started here,” Howard said. “I plan on being here for a long time.”
As a father and husband, the offseason is precious to Howard. That included some family trips with his wife and children, his mother and his grandmother.
Securing the future of his family is at the heart of the grueling work Howard puts in. It’s about much more than himself.
“It’s the best because that’s what I do this for,” Howard said. “I do this for my family. I do it for myself because I love the game. I want to set my kids up and my wife up for the future so we can live a comfortable life and build generational wealth. That’s why I give my all when I’m out on the field to be the best I can be because I want to set myself up for the future after football. Football doesn’t last forever.”
As bookend tackles, Tunsil and Howard, both former first-round draft picks, are a formidable combination.
However, they haven’t been recognized as one of the top tandems in the league by multiple analytics sites.
Tunsil was the highest-graded pass protector in the NFL last season, allowing just one sack.
Back at his natural right tackle position, Howard played 997 snaps last season, including 916 at right tackle, and allowed just three sacks and five quarterback hits with nine penalties with 38 pressures yielded.
“We’re one of the best tandems in football, if not the best tandem in the NFL,” Tunsil said during his first annual youth football camp. “I say that wholeheartedly.”
In Howard’s opinion, the Texans’ substandard record over the past three seasons is impacting how he and Tunsil are regarded by analysts. The Texans went 3-13-1 last season under coach Lovie Smith and have a combined record of 11-38-1 over the past three seasons. Tunsil and Howard use the perceived disrespect as motivational fuel.
“Yeah, it’s motivating,” Howard said. “I think they just look over us because of how we perform as a team over the last couple of years. If you look at statistics, me and LT are the best tackle duo in the league. Just look at it. But we’re just going to take it with a grain of salt and put our work in and just continue to get better.
“We should be able to set the standard for the offensive line this year, perform highly and help our team win. You get what you put in. If you put in the work every day, the outcome it’s going to be good. I’m just trying to do the best thing I can do to set myself up for a successful future with my team also.”
Ultimately, Howard got what he wanted. At 6-foot-5, 322 pounds with 34-inch arms and 10 5/8 hands, Howard plays the game with a gritty, heavy-handed style. It’s been a lot of growth from weighing 225 pounds as a freshman to moving to tight end then the offensive line.
“I have been doing this my whole career, and I just always learn to adjust,” Howard said. “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, man. 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.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and Click2Houston.com
