The Houston Texans made a concerted effort to revamp their offensive line after it fell apart completely in the playoffs against the Chiefs. They made the polarizing decision to trade Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders and replace him with Cam Robinson. They moved on from Kendrick Green and Kenyon Green while signing 33-year-old Laken Tomlinson to presumably start at left guard. On Friday, they made another offensive line signing that raised some eyebrows among Texans fans.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Texans were signing free agent offensive tackle Trent Brown to a one-year, $3 million deal.
The #Texans are signing FA OT Trent Brown to a 1-year, up to $3M deal negotiated by agent Drew Rosenhaus. More OL help.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 21, 2025
NFL News: Texans Sign OT Trent Brown
Brown spent last season with the Bengals after being an important member of the Patriots for the previous three years. He is not only about to turn 32 but he also missed all but three games last season after tearing his patellar tendon. In the 139 offensive snaps he played, he wasn't particularly impactful for Cincinnati, receiving a 65.2 grade on PFF.
The end of Brown's second stint with the Patriots was full of drama. Towards the end of the 2023 season, reports about Brown quitting the team surfaced. There was reported locker room discord because some of his teammates believed that Brown didn't return from his ankle and knee injuries when he could have, accusing him of "protecting himself and his future earnings."
Before wearing out his welcome in Foxborough, Brown spent time at both right and left tackle. While his best PFF grades came in years he was on the left side, he has more experience playing right tackle. He will likely continue starting there with Cam Robinson getting the nod at left tackle.
As things stand now, Tomlinson, Jarrett Patterson, and Juice Scruggs make up the rest of the offensive line for the Texans. Whether that is a good enough group for CJ Stroud and the fanbase to feel better about their chances in 2025 remains to be seen.