After ending his holdout earlier this week, it looks like Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown will be in uniform this weekend. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the lineman will be activated for tomorrow’s game against the Seahawks. To make room on the roster, the team has waived offensive tackle Kendall Lamm (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter).
The offensive tackle had been pushing for a new contract since July, and while initial reports indicated that he’d be back in time for the regular season, he didn’t report to the team until earlier this week. As our own Dallas Robinson explained, the offensive tackle’s decision doesn’t necessarily mean that either side has relented on contract talks. Rather, Brown needed eight games under his belt to earn credit for the 2017 campaign.
Chris Clark, who has been filling in at left tackle during Brown’s absence, will presumably lose his starting gig. Pro Football Focus ranked the 32-year-old 52nd among 71 eligible tackles, although the rest of the Texans offensive line has been more than serviceable this season. Clark is also set to miss several weeks with an injury, so it’s easy to assume that Brown will immediately slide into the starting role.
Earlier this week, we heard that the Texans would consider shopping Brown, who is signed through next season. The Seahawks were previously mentioned as a potential landing spot, and a trade would allow the organization to acquire some extra picks. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says Brown’s return isn’t an attempt by the organization to showcase his trade value. Rather, the team is counting on the veteran to protect breakout rookie Deshaun Watson for the rest of the season.
Lamm, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, appeared in 35 games (eight starts) over his two-plus seasons with the organization.