The Houston Texans will be without one of their two bookend tackles for the foreseeable future. Right tackle Tytus Howard underwent surgery on Monday to repair a broken hand he suffered during training camp, according to NFL Media. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says the team expects Howard to be out for "a while," though ESPN reports Howard will likely be sidelined 4-6 weeks. That timeframe gives him a shot at returning for the team's season opener on Sept. 10.
Howard recently signed a three-year, $56 million contract extension that will keep him and Laremy Tunsil locked in as the foundation of C.J. Stroud's protection unit for years to come. The former first-round pick has played and started 54 of a possible 66 games during his four NFL seasons, working mostly at right tackle but also making some appearances on the left side of the line and at guard.
His new contract makes him the league's ninth-highest paid right tackle in terms of total dollar value, while both the $18.7 million average annual value and the $36.5 million guaranteed rank fourth among players at the position. His 2023 cap number dropped considerably, thanks to the extension, but he will count for an average of $20.67 million on Houston's cap from 2024 through 2026.
We don't yet know whether or not Howard will be ready for the Texans' Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens, but it would obviously be quite difficult for an offensive tackle to play through a broken hand. Houston has George Fant, Charlie Heck and Greg Little as backup tackles, and it remains to be seen which of them will take Howard's place among the starters. Fant has experience playing on both sides of the line and started 36 games for the Jets over the past three seasons, so he might have a leg up in the competition.
