Laremy Tunsil is no longer a Houston Texan. In a stunning move, the Texans finalized a deal on Monday afternoon to trade him to the Washington Commanders. The return included 2025 3rd and 7th round picks, as well as 2nd and 4th round picks in 2026. Washington also nets Houston’s 4th round pick from this years draft. Tunsil was regarded as a top flight left tackle during his time with Houston, nabbing a total of 5 Pro-Bowl selections in his 6 seasons here. Nick Caserio moved his chess piece, and now the Texans will be looking for a new left tackle. This was a move that needed to happen in order the improve the team as a whole in 2025. Here are 3 reasons why moving on from Laremy Tunsil was the right and necessary move to bring the Houston Texans closer to a Super Bowl.
1. Culture Shift On The Offensive Line Was Needed
The worst kept secret in Houston: Laremy Tunsil is all about Laremy Tunsil, and ONLY about Laremy Tunsil. He is a great player, and will go on to perform at a very high level in Washington, but there came a point in Houston where his mentality as a player was not going to align with the way the Texans wanted to run their organization culture wise. The Texans who had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last year, were in dire need of a complete overhaul in that unit and Laremy Tunsil just did not fit into their plans anymore. In his age 31 season, Laremy was looking for yet another new contract and the Houston brass felt it was best to move on and finally build an offensive line of team first, passionate football players who truly want to win, rather than guys who care only about individual accolades and lack self accountability when it comes to player and team performance.
2. Contract Negotiations With Other Players In Coming Years
It was a smart move to move on from Tunsil and get ahead of the yearly requests for a new contract because the Stroud, Stingley Jr. , and Anderson Jr. negotiations are fast approaching. First up will be Derek Stingley Jr. , who will most likely reset the market for the cornerback position with his contract extension. Stroud and Anderson Jr. will be due next in a couple years. With this in mind, I believe Texans general manager Nick Caserio and the front office made a smart business decision with the trade of Laremy Tunsil. Houston saves $13.85 million in 2025 with this move, which will allow them to potentially sign or draft his replacement. The Texans front office’s worst nightmare would have been having to deal with the constant Tunsil negotiations while at the same time having to worry about the Stroud, Stingley Jr., and Anderson Jr. negotiations. It was better to get ahead of this and make this move now rather than have to worry about it later on down the road.
3. Tunsil Is Not A Fit With The 2025 Texans Offense And Beyond
When I think about what the Texans offense, particularly the offensive line, needs to look like in order to maximize the talents of C.J Stroud, I came to the conclusion that everything about Tunsil seems to not be a fit for this offense moving forward. While he is excellent in pass protection, he leaves a lot to be desired as a run blocker. He commits way to many penalties that constantly hold the Texans offense back. We were willing to deal with the bad because of how good Laremy’s strengths were, but it’s important to note that the Texans were only willing to do so because they were in rebuild mode. In 2025, the window for a Super Bowl is open, and management needs to do anything possible to maximize its’ potential. While Tunsil is an exceptional pass protector, Nick Caley’s offense will feature a truly balanced offense, and perhaps the decision makers on Kirby felt that there was a cheaper, more efficient option at left tackle out there. If Stroud is to truly take that next step, he will need an offensive line unit of true team first guys, who embody Coach Demeco Ryans’ SWARM mentality. Laremy Tunsil does not embody those qualities. Laremy Tunsil just isn’t that guy.
