HOUSTON – The Houston Texans are releasing veteran offensive guard Shaq Mason, according to a league source.
He’s being designated as a post-June 1 release, meaning there’s no immediate salary cap relief, but they’ll realize $9.4 million in salary cap savings later.
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Mason, 31, was due a $10 million base salary in 2025.
A two-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, Mason dealt with some injuries last season, returning from a Grade 1 sprained medial collateral ligament to start in the Texans’ AFC divisional round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Texans want to sign more offensive linemen and possibly draft one, too, as a major part of their offseason plan, which included promoting Cole Popovich to head offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
A year ago, the Texans did a simple restructure of Mason’s deal that created $6.4 million in salary cap space.
The Texans converted $8.04 million of Mason’s original $9.25 million base salary into a signing bonus, lowering his new base salary to the minimum $1.125 million, which is fully guaranteed for skill, injury and salary cap.
The Texans added voidable years of $25 million each in 2027 and 2028 for accounting purposes.
In 2025 and 2026, Mason had salaries of $10 million ($1.025 million fully guaranteed) and $10.4 million with salary cap figures of $14.658 million and $15.058 million. He still has annual up to $500,000 in per game active roster bonuses at a $29,411 per game rate, a $250,000 Pro Bowl incentive and a $50,000 workout bonus.
Mason joined the Texans last season via a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, gaining his services and a seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a sixth-round selection.
The Texans signed Mason last year to a three-year, $36 million contract extension in new money, with an average of $12 million annually, a $10 million signing bonus, $22 million guaranteed of that with 61% of the total guaranteed.
Mason signed a five-year, $50 million extension with the Patriots then was traded to theTampa Buccaneers two years ago for a fifth-round draft pick.
His deal was restructured two years ago. He started every game for the Buccaneers at right guard and was ranked 20th overall at his position by Pro Football Focus.
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
