On the first day of free agency, the Houston Texans stole the headlines with an unexpected blockbuster trade. Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, they traded star left tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders. In return, the Texans received a 2026 second-round pick and a fourth-round pick, as well as a third-rounder in this year's draft. In addition to Tunsil, the Texans will also send a fourth-round pick to Washington.
Tunsil is coming off his sixth season in Houston. Each season he was healthy, he made the Pro Bowl, including in 2024. As a result, the 30-year-old offensive tackle received two lucrative, long-term deals from Houston, including his most recent one in the 2023 offseason. Tunsil signed a three-year, $75 million extension that offseason and is currently under contract for two more years. He carries a cap hit of $21.35 million for each of the next two seasons.
The Texans, on the other hand, will accrue a dead cap hit of $15 million for next season, according to Spotrac.
This is the second time Tunsil was traded for a massive draft pick haul. After being a first-round pick by the Dolphins in 2016, he was dealt to Houston for two first-round picks and a second-round selection. This was considered to be an unusually large return for a player who hadn't proven himself in the NFL. The Dolphins then used those picks to add even more draft capital, causing the deal to be consistently referred to as "the trade that keeps on giving".
This return is obviously nowhere near that package. It is also hard to argue that the trade didn't work out for the Texans as Tunsil played a key role in C.J. Stroud's development over the last two seasons. At the same time, Houston clearly paid Tunsil like one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL when he has not been at that level in most of his Texans career.
Now, Tunsil will get a chance to contend for a Super Bowl in another up-and-coming franchise and a star quarterback. The Commanders and Jayden Daniels fill one of their most immediate needs at the offensive line as they look to take another step forward in 2025.