When the 2025 NFL season came to a close, the Browns had a dicey situation on their hands as it related to the offensive line. Virtually the entire group had expiring contracts, and the linemen's advanced ages made bringing any of them back all the more complicated. While the legendary Joel Bitonio decided his own fate by opting to deservedly ride off into the sunset, another impactful Brown wasn't as lucky.
Wyatt Teller was a fixture in Cleveland over the last seven years since he was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills back in 2019. Teller rewarded the Browns' belief by blossoming into a three-time Pro Bowler who was an integral part of the line that powered Cleveland to the playoffs in 2020 and 2023. The memories will always be fond, but in the NFL, there's rarely a storybook goodbye.
With Bitonio, it worked out that he wanted to walk away. He was still playing well enough that it would've made sense to keep him around regardless. As for Teller, he appeared to be on a downward trajectory. Alas, despite the Browns' desperate need for offensive line talent, general manager Andrew Berry made little to no effort to extend the partnership.
Wyatt Teller's downward spiral is amplified by his usage with the Houston Texans
Teller found a welcome home with the Houston Texans, a franchise that has become quite the sore spot for Browns fans ever since the Deshaun Watson trade. In any case, Houston decided to take a chance on Teller despite the fact that, according to Pro Football Focus, last season he put up a middling 62.3 offensive grade, his lowest since his sophomore season in 2019 (56.7). That came after a lackluster 2024 campaign that graded at 62.6.
He wound up starting the Texans' preseason opener at left guard, struggling to a 56.3 grade in his 12 snaps. Then, in Week 2 of the preseason, Teller was usurped by rookie Keylan Rutledge and relegated to the second unit where he played right guard. He fared even worse there, posting a 47.0 grade with a particularly nauseating 17.6 pass block grade in 15 snaps.
While it's just the preseason and it's unfathomable that Houston would cut bait just months after inking Teller to a two-year pact worth $16 million (with $8.5 million guaranteed), the early returns are not great. In fact, the Texans might wind up having one of the most expensive — albeit most experienced — backup guards in all of football when all is said and done. That's surely not what they envisioned when they signed him in March.
This goes to show that general manager Andrew Berry might've gotten this one right. No fan likes to see a player leave their favorite team and flourish elsewhere. Not because of bitterness or karmic reasons, but simply because the optimal outcome is watching said player ball out for the good guys. Football is a brutal game, and Father Time is undefeated.
The writing was on the wall when Teller was benched last season for a four-week period from Week 14 through Week 17, before he suffered a calf injury that knocked him out the rest of the year. His replacement, Teven Jenkins, played well enough in his stead to be invited back this season. Jenkins is currently penciled in to be the starter at right guard for the Browns in 2026.
Teller has had diminishing returns and will turn 32 this season. It made all the sense in the world for the Browns to move on, even if some feelings were hurt along the way. Hopefully, when all is said and done, Teller will be remembered for his best football as one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL during his prime. Fans will surely never forget.
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