Houston Texans Left Tackle Duane Brown To Hold Out

Houston Texans left tackle Duane Brown is planning to hold out of training camp. The news is not all that surprising. It became known earlier that Brown is unhappy with his contract and wants more money. Brown skipped mandatory minicamp in June and let it be known he would skip training camp if necessary. Brown is skipping training camp for the time being. The Texans are placing Brown on the “did not report” list.

The no-show of Duane Brown causes a ripple effect on the Texans roster. Not only do the Texans have to prepare for a life without Brown, but they must prepare two inexperienced quarterbacks to be a NFL starters. Deshaun Watson and Tom Savage are battling to be the starter in Houston this season. If Brown’s holdout lasts into the preseason, Watson and Savage will face a steep learning curve. Brown plays the most important position on the offensive line, left tackle. Teams who have an All-Pro left tackle do their best to keep them on the field protecting the quarterback. As of now, Brown will not be on the field.

The remaining contract for Brown is two-years $19,150,000. For the 2017 NFL season, Brown is the 11th highest paid left tackle in the NFL. Players of his caliber typically get paid more than the $9.4 million Brown is owed this season. For players signed in 2018, Brown is the 16th highest paid. It is understandable why he wants more money.

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Duane Brown is an extremely durable offensive lineman. Brown has appeared in all but 12 games in his nine year career. Very few players in the NFL have the durability that Brown does. Even less are as consistent at being productive. This is exactly why he wants more money.

The absence of a player of Brown’s ability will cause issues with Watson and Savage. Depending on a dominant left tackle is a young quarterback’s best friend. This is due to not being accustomed to the speed of the NFL game. As a result of Brown’s absence, the quarterback will not be able to build chemistry with him. Understanding how he blocks defenders and his body language. The title things that make the connection between a left tackle and a quarterback important to the success of a football team. Since Brown is holding out, this chemistry will not develop. The understanding between players will not mature.

While the Texans would prefer to have their offensive line situation figure out, they don’t. As much as they would like Brown to come to training camp, he won’t. This is just another reason to cast doubt on the Texans potential this season. Building chemistry is key to success. As a result of not paying Brown, the season’s success is in question.