When it came to what the Houston Texans needed to work on this offseason, the offensive line was in that conversation. C.J. Stroud was sacked 52 times and the lack of pass protection cost the Texans a chance to upset the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs.
With that said, nobody expected Laremy Tunsil to be jettisoned off considering his history in the league. While, yes, Tunsil had a down year in 2024, fans were left stunned by the team agreeing to send him to the Commanders for three total picks between this year and next year's draft.
Why did the Texans do this? The goal was to get better on offense, not worse, so what gives? Why was this deal done?
Well, Tunsil explained why during his introductory press conference in DC. He said that the Texans informed him they wanted to ensure they could pay their young core on the line. "It's a young man's game and I've seen it for myself," Tunsil said.
Laremy Tunsil says he was traded so Texans could pay other linemen
Even though the reasoning does make sense, it's still unfortunate that Houston couldn't figure out a way to keep Tunsil, who spent the last six years with the Texans. He is 30 years old and is coming off a not-so-great season so perhaps trading him now while he could still get something for him makes sense but it was a pretty surprising move.
Let's hope that this ends up looking like a great move by the Texans when the 2025 season wraps up and that they can add some talented players with those acquired draft picks. Otherwise, this will continue to be a puzzling move for a team that needs to desperately hope the line can protect its young quarterback in a key third season.