Shaking up the offensive line was one of the Houston Texans' top priorities to begin the NFL offseason. One of the earliest attempts to do so was a shocker, as the Texans traded starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil and a fourth-rounder to the Washington Commanders in March, landing four draft picks in return.
The trade was done with the Texans' financial future in mind, as there was no guarantee Tunsil would be re-signed once his current contract is up. Still, that didn't change the fact that some Houston fans were sad to see one of the team's most reliable blockers go. Having said that, said sentiment may have changed after Tunsil's latest outing with the Commanders.
Ex-Texans LT Laremy Tunsil Has Frustrating Week 2 Performance for Commanders
Tunsil's Commanders were in Thursday Night Football action this week, falling 27-18 to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Texans fans are familiar with the ex-Houston blocker's lack of discipline, and he was up to his usual antics beneath the TNF spotlight as he took an untimely false start penalty.
Broadcaster Al Michaels even pointed out (h/t @WillKunkelV) that "Tunsil is no stranger to that call" after pacing the NFL with 12 false starts in 2024. In fact, the 31-year-old LT has more false start penalties (55) than every other call (31) in his 10-year career. It's unlikely that he'll ever change if he hasn't at this stage of his journey.
The Packers' pass rush was a non-stop force all night long, which led to Tunsil conceding three pressures on 56 pass blocking downs, which was triple the number he surrendered in Week 1. His Pro Football Focus pass block grade also dropped from 84.1 to 81.2, and so did his run block grade (71.5 to 48.8).
The Texans' offensive line went through its own woes to begin the season, but it's safe to say things may have been worse if Tunsil was still around. Houston's O-line only took three penalties in the Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and that number could've been much worse had Tunsil been around to take untimely calls.
Tunsil still holds a special place in Texans fans' hearts, and they'd love nothing more than for the five-time Pro Bowler to find success in Washington. At the same time, his continuing to rack up penalties, much to the Commanders' dismay, would prove that the Texans traded Tunsil away at the right time.