The Houston Texans made a shocking trade on Monday afternoon, sending Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders in exchange for multiple draft picks.
It was a shocking trade by Houston, given that its offensive line wasn’t the greatest, and Tunsil could be considered their best offensive lineman. However, before the Texans shipped off the Pro Bowl lineman, Houston was reportedly talking to other teams about Tunsil.
On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network was on the Pat McAfee Show and reported that Houston talked to some teams in the tackle market, but those teams decided to go with cheaper and younger options.
The NFL insider added, “Several teams had the chance to get Laremy Tunsil and they decided not to.”
Meanwhile, James Palmer of Underdog Fantasy reported Tunsil was traded because Houston didn’t want to give him a massive contract. They also believe his best days are behind him, and the team wants new leadership and culture in the offensive line room.
The fact that the Texans couldn’t create a big market for the veteran lineman speaks volumes about their play in 2024.
According to PFF, Tunsil was one of the best pass-blocking tackles in the league with an 88.6 grade (fourth among 141 qualified tackles). Additionally, he had a 73.6 run blocking grade (25th).
The 30-year-old lineman was ranked 10th in ESPN Analytics’ OT pass block win rate rankings (96%). Tunsil only allowed two sacks but was penalized 19 times (ranked 141st among 141 tackles) in 1,026 offensive snaps.
Nevertheless, the veteran lineman will try to have another Pro Bowl season in 2025 with the Commanders. Meanwhile, Houston must decide what they will do at left tackle, whether that means starting Blake Fisher or going with another option outside the organization.