The Houston Texans did some major work on improving their offensive line this offseason and it required some creativity. While trading Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders was the move that drew the biggest headlines, the Texans also had to think outside of the box with the players they already had.
One of those moves was shifting a starter to a new position. While that practice is common in a Madden franchise, it takes some cooperation from the player and a lot of hard work to make the change happen. But the good news for the Texans is that it’s all coming together and the first steps happened during the team’s minicamp last week.
Tytus Howard Makes Shift to Guard During Texans Minicamp
One of the biggest moves among the Texans’ returning starters was moving Tytus Howard from tackle to guard. Howard served as Houston’s right tackle for each of his six seasons in the NFL and was one of their best lineman last season with a 70.2 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus.
While it would have been easy to keep Howard on the edge, the Texans moved him inside to right guard to create a spot for second-year tackle Blake Fisher. While some players would balk at the change, Howard has kept an open mind and is embracing the challenge.
“We’ve got a chip on our shoulders and people underestimate what we’re going to be this year, but you know, that’s their problem,” Howard told KPRC’s Aaron Wilson. “When that first game comes and we come off that ball and hit them in the mouth, like they’re gonna be, ‘These guys are for real.’”
#Texans Tytus Howard: 'We've got a chip on our shoulders and people underestimate what we’re going to be this year, but, you know that’s their problem. When that first game comes and we come off that ball and hit them in the mouth, like they’re gonna be, ‘These these guys are for… https://t.co/DrQxLQYnij
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 13, 2025
Howard’s comments embody what new offensive line coach Cole Popovich has been preaching during the offseason program. The Texans allowed 52 sacks last season and ranked 29th in Pro Football Focus’s final offensive line rankings for last season. But Popovich has been trying to install a mentality that Howard called ‘nasty’ and ‘underestimated.’
“We’ve been putting that work in here right now and we’re gonna continue to put that work and training together and every day isn’t gonna be perfect,” Howard continued. “But I’m telling you when that game one come and they see what it takes to offer the line about, we’re going to be ready.”
WIth new weapon Jayden Higgins also showing his potential at minicamp, the Texans offense could be more explosive if they can keep C.J. Stroud upright. If that happens, Houston should have a real case to win their third straight AFC South title and potentially win a few playoff games in 2025.