Former Texans Starter Reaches A Turning Point In Unsettled Off-Field Saga

Free agent offensive lineman Shaq Mason avoids NFL discipline for past allegations, leaving his professional future in limbo.

Free agent guard Shaq Mason will not face NFL discipline tied to the domestic assault allegations that surfaced in 2025, according to Mike Garafolo.

Mason has been out of work since the Texans released him in March 2025, and there has not been any reported interest in him since then. The latest development removes one possible obstacle as he remains a free agent.

The 31-year-old was arrested in Tennessee in August 2025 after police stopped him during a traffic stop shortly after the alleged incident. He was booked on multiple charges: one count of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated burglary, one count of harassment, and one count of driving on a suspended license.

Mason’s NFL career began when the Patriots selected him in the fourth round in 2015. At the time, he was in the final season of the four-year, $2,723,524 contract he had signed before landing a five-year extension that was worth up to $50 million.

That Patriots deal included $23.5 million guaranteed and nearly $30 million paid out over the first three seasons. New England later dealt Mason to the Buccaneers for a fifth-round pick in 2022.

His base salaries were set at $6.5 million and $7.5 million over the last two years of that contract, but Tampa Bay reworked the agreement in September 2022 to open up $6 million in cap space. After one season with the Buccaneers, he was sent to the Texans in a late-round pick swap.

Mason played in and started 15 games for Houston in 2024 at guard.

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