Giants LT Andrew Thomas, Texans RT Tytus Howard reportedly agree to extensions

Last updated: 2023/07/26 at 2:09 PM

BigP Published July 26, 2023

It was a good morning for a pair of the NFL’s top offensive linemen.

Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas and Texans right tackle Tytus Howard both agreed to long-term extensions with their respective teams on Wednesday.

Thomas received not just the higher payday between the two, but also the biggest contract ever for an offensive lineman. He signed a five-year, $117.5 million deal with $67 million guaranteed at signing, a record for an offensive lineman, according to multiple reports.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Thomas began to live up to expectations in 2022. He earned a second-team All-Pro nod, allowing just three sacks on the season, per Pro Football Focus. His play on the offensive line helped spearhead a turnaround season in New York, in which the Giants made a notable improvement under first-year coach Brian Daboll to reach the playoffs.

Wednesday marks the second straight day that the Giants have made a deal with one of their top players. On Tuesday, they agreed to a reworked one-year deal with star running back Saquon Barkley in order to get him to report to camp and play out the 2023 season.

The Giants have also given extensions to QB Daniel Jones and NT Dexter Lawrence this offseason, keeping most of their core under contract for the foreseeable future.

As for Howard, he received a three-year, $56 million extension with $36.5 million guaranteed, ESPN reported.

The 27-year-old Howard has started 46 games the past three seasons, lining up opposite star left tackle Laremy Tunsil for much of that time. Howard, a 2019 first-round pick, also had a strong year in 2022, giving up just three sacks, per PFF.

By extending Howard, the Texans have ensured that No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud will have a pair of notable veteran tackles protecting him on the outside for at least the first few seasons of his career. In March, Tunsil agreed to a three-year, $75 million extension with $50 million guaranteed as the Texans have made heavy investments at offensive tackle.

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