HOUSTON – Coming off of their bye week, the Texans have another player ready to go to work. Left tackle Duane Brown has ended his holdout and reported to the team.
The 10-year NFL veteran had skipped the team’s off-season workouts and training camp, and now has reported to the team with what is believed to be a desire to renegotiate his contract that had two seasons remaining.
Brown was subject to forfeiture of game checks for the six games he’s already missed this season. At his salary, those monies total more than $3 million in lost wages.
While he has reported, the plans for Brown are uncertain. The NFL trade deadline is 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Just before the 2017 season began and following Hurricane Harvey on Sept. 4, Brown and his wife helped organize and held a fundraising barbeque where he briefly addressed his holdout.
"Not going to get into that too much, but definitely playing football this year,” Brown said. "It’s tough man, that’s my craft. That’s something I love to do. Those are my brothers, so it’s tough.”
Prior to the start of training camp in West Virginia, Texans general manager Rick Smith addressed the situation with Brown.
“I have talked to Duane, yes. I don’t know that this is a holdout,” Smith said in July. "There is no contract dispute. Duane is under contract for two more years. That’s our position. We’re here to get our football team ready for the season. He should be a part of it. Duane and I have a really good relationship.”
Under his contract, Brown would have earned a little less than $19 million for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, but the money is not guaranteed.
