The NFL free agency period has been active, with players officially able to sign contracts on Wednesday. The Houston Texans surprised a lot of people by trading Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders for a haul of picks. The Texans' trade of Tunsil means they need help on the offensive line.
However, it didn't take long for them to address that. On Tuesday, the Texans agreed to a one-year deal worth $4.25 million with Laken Tomlinson, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
“Texans agreed to terms with veteran G Laken Tomlinson on one-year, $4.25 million deal with a max value of $5 million, source says. The former #Lions, #49ers, #Jets and #Seahawks lineman heads to Houston.”
Tomlinson has been around the NFL quite a bit. He was originally selected No. 28 overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Then, Tomlinson spent just two seasons with the Lions before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers just before the 2017 season.
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Tomlinson, who played college football at Duke, then spent five years with the 49ers, starting 80 games while being named to the Pro Bowl in 2021. After the 2021 campaign, Tomlinson signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the New York Jets as he reunited with Robert Saleh.
The Jets then released Tomlinson after two seasons and 34 starts, as he started every game during his tenure with the franchise.
It has been a whirlwind of a few seasons for the veteran, who spent the 2024 season with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, he heads to the Texans in his third team in three seasons.
Houston is fresh off a playoff run and a strong season from quarterback CJ Stroud, so bringing him help upfront is a big boost for the franchise, especially with Tunsil being traded away. Even though Tomlinson is 33 years old, he could be a solid addition for the Texans.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Matt Wadleigh is the lead NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball editor for ClutchPoints, and he also specializes in MLB and NFL coverage. Born and raised in Oceanside, Matt went to Fresno State before covering sports for FanSided, Sportscasting, and Trojans Wire.