Houston Texans: Delving into the Duane Brown dilemma

The Houston Texans training camp is starting tomorrow and we already know that one player will not be attending camp as scheduled.

Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown has decided not to show up for camp as a result of an issue he has with his contract situation.  I’ve talked about this in past posts in regard to this and he’s likely not happy that his remaining years of his contract are not guaranteed.  He’s now 31-years-old and no longer a spring chicken when it comes to being able to sustain the constant beating he takes while out on the field.

He knows that his career could be over at any moment that a life-changing injury offers itself an opportunity to creep up. I honestly think he’s looking for some financial security as his career comes to a close.  It’s quite understandable that he’d want this but so far there hasn’t been any inroads to the Houston Texans caving in to his demands.

As per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, here’s the latest effect that has salary has taken as result of his absence:

So far, he’s lost $330K worth of salary as a result of his absence and stands to lose $40K a day on each day that he’s absent from camp.  That’s a lot of money to you and I but with Brown earning nearly $22 million in guaranteed money in this current deal, I’m sure he can take that hit with his amount not escalating even to a cool $1 million just yet.

The Houston Texans maintain the stance that there’s “no contract dispute” and Brown is still under contract to the terms that he agreed to.  FOX 26’s Mark Berman has video from when general manager Rick Smith met with the media:

The Houston Texans have made it clear that they’re not budging on their stance and that he should return back to camp as soon as possible.  He has been placed the reserve/did not report list as he will be removed whenever he decides to report.  Brown is the only Texans’ player on that list.  But as time wears on and these fines escalate, more and more of his pay will continue to evaporate.  If he’s not in training camp, he’ll definitely be in uniform for the season because even bigger chunks of salary would be siphoned away.

I also Co-Host the Locked on Texans podcast with industry-vet Robert Land and here’s an early take that I had on this situation last month:

Brown has two years remaining on a six-year, $53.4 million deal he signed back in 2012.  His 2017 salary is now $9.4 million because of the $250K he lost from missing workouts and has a $9.75 million salary lined up for 2018.  I honestly think the Texans should just guarantee his money for this season to end this and worry about next year to get him back in some pads.  But if Brown’s looking for additional pay, then I totally understand the franchise’s stance as those were the terms he agreed to when he signed the deal years ago.

Next: Duane Brown needs to end standoff with team

Regardless, this story line will continue and will certainly stop once he decides to report which is still something that’s up in the air.  Let’s just hope that swift resolution comes to pass as soon as possible.

Go Texans.