The Houston Texans gave up a significant amount of draft capital when they acquired Laremy Tunsil in a trade last offseason, and they now have a deal in place to keep the Pro Bowl left tackle with the team for several years.
Tunsil and the Texans have agreed to a three-year extension worth $66 million, according to Ian Rapoport and Steve Wyche of NFL Network. The deal includes $50 million guaranteed.
Full terms: 3 years, $66M with $50M guaranteed and $40M due at signing. A huge haul for the star LT https://t.co/DC76vQkcPa
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 24, 2020
From an average annual value standpoint, the deal makes Tunsil the highest-paid offensive lineman in football by a wide margin. His $22 million per year dwarfs the $18 million per year that Lane Johnson got on his most recent deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Texans already made an unpopular move this offseason by trading away star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, though that deal seemed to be motivated by non-football factors. Still, it allowed Houston to free up some money, and using it to protect Deshaun Watson’s blindside is a smart investment.
