The first of what could be four (or five?) new starting offensive linemen for the Cleveland Browns in 2026 was solidified Monday in a surprise trade.
General manager Andrew Berry helped kick off the NFL’s version of March Madness by swapping a fifth-round draft pick for veteran Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard. The Browns are also signing Howard, 29, to a three-year, $68 million extension, per ESPN, that will tie him to Todd Monken’s Browns through his age-32 season in 2028.
Berry hinted that the Browns could take a similar approach to GM Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears, who in 2025 executed a series of trades, free agent signings, and draft picks to reset their offensive line with a mix of young, developing, and veteran talent.
Howard fills the latter bucket as a seven-year vet who started games at every O-line spot for Houston, outside of center. His most recent superpower has been flowing seamlessly between right tackle and left guard, based on the Texans’ team needs and injury situations.
With Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, and Jack Conklin among a host of veteran linemen potentially on the way out of Cleveland this month in free agency, Howard ensures at least one veteran anchor with the NFL’s legal tampering window looming on March 9.
Per Aaron Wilson of Houston’s local NBC affiliate, KPRC-TV Channel 2, Howard wasted no time reacting to his new team and contract after news of the trade broke on Monday morning.
Tytus Howard is the kind of veteran leader this Browns rebuild desperately needed
Wilson, a former reporter for the Houston Chronicle, shared Howard’s first quote as a member of the Cleveland Browns, and four words in particular are sure to capture fans’ attention.
“I just appreciate the support over the last seven years. I'll always be a Texan forever. I'm excited to go to Cleveland and turn the city up and help change the program and win some games.”
Browns fans have been waiting for someone to help change their program for a while, and the hope right now is that Monken can be that guy. One of Monken’s first coaching staff moves was to add veteran offensive line coach George Warhop, who spent the 2022 season in Houston with Howard as his full-time right tackle (with two starts at left guard). So there’s a clear link to Cleveland’s new regime.
New Browns offensive line coach George Warhop coached Tytus Howard for one season in 2022, so there is some familiarity there as well.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) March 2, 2026
Houston has had its own struggles on the offensive line in recent seasons, as Browns fans know following last year’s trade with the Texans for left tackle Cam Robinson. Howard’s been their best and most versatile lineman, though, and Berry clearly saw a window to snag a proven veteran who still has some gas left in the tank. Howard’s also coming at a reasonable price for a player who could start at tackle, at a projected $17.5 million per year, according to Spotrac.
Browns fans have been pounding the table for change, and this Howard move is only the beginning.