Yesterday, the Houston Texans and former Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith came to terms on a two-year, $25 million maximum value contract. The move helped to solidify the right side of the offensive line, after the team previously secured right guard Ed Ingram the day before.
Texans fans were ecstatic, as it represented the next phase of the team's announced plans to upgrade the entire unit throughout the offseason. Smith himself also joined in on the celebration of the move, with KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson quoting him as expressing,
"I'm very excited about it. I've loved playing in the AFC South for years, and there's always just good competition there. Just being able to join the Texans, it's pretty exciting because, you know, they're a high-level team. I'm really excited about what they're doing."
Exciting indeed. The Texans knew that an addition like Smith's was necessary for where the franchise is ultimately trying to go, which is the first Super Bowl in team history.
Texans add Smith to a roster that needed upgrades on the offensive side of the football
Smith continued to praise the acquisition, this time being highly complimentary of his new teammates.
"They have a stellar defense, C.J. Stroud, a great quarterback. I'm excited to join the offensive line and hopefully be able to help them out as much as I can and just do my part to help the team have success."
It's a factual statement to say that Houston's elite defense was the engine to the team's 12-5 campaign in 2025. Without their historic contributions, there's a chance that the Texans would've finished with no more than nine wins. This is considering how 12 of their 17 games finished as a one-score contest (they were 7-5 in such games).
The offense, which Smith is joining, was the chronic weakness seemingly every Sunday afternoon. A few examples of their futility in 2025 include:
- No touchdowns scored until week two
- Didn't score above 20 points until week four (Tennessee Titans)
- Didn't score a red zone touchdown until week four (Tennessee Titans)
- Only one 100+ yard rusher in 17 games (running back Jawhar Jordan, vs. the Arizona Cardinals)
- Held under 20 points six times in 17 games
The offensive line had its part to play in the underperformance, as it finished ranked 30th in pass block win rate (56%) and 32nd in run block win rate (68%). Meaning, it was one of the three-worst teams in the NFL in both preventing pressure and creating running lanes for their rushing attack to operate through.
Smith brings eight years of NFL experience, along with only giving up one sack in 765 snaps at his position last season. He is known for his run blocking proficiency, which fits perfectly with the physical identity that offensive coordinator Nick Caley prefers for the team.
Hopefully, Smith experience and play style can help elevate an offensive line that's been the butt of every joke for the last two years (at a minimum).