Just after Duane Brown ended a months-long holdout over a contract dispute, the Texans have reportedly traded the left tackle to the Seahawks for cornerback Jeremy Lane and two draft picks, a 2018 fifth-rounder and 2019 second-rounder.
The offensive tackle made his season debut on Sunday—against Seattle, actually—ending a holdout that started over the summer, when he decided not to attend training camp in hopes of forcing the team’s hand on giving him a new contract. Brown had signed an extension with the Texans back in 2012 that was meant to keep him with the team through 2018. The deal was structured to pay him about $9.5 million per year this season and next, albeit with no money guaranteed. When Houston wouldn’t budge, Brown decided to end the holdout. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Seattle will try to restructure the lineman’s contract.
The Texans managed to work around Brown’s absence for the first part of the season, as rookie QB Deshaun Watson helped the team lead the league in scoring with 30.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson will receive some sorely needed pass protection, and Brown has a chance to get paid what he wants.