Texans Guard Plan Is Putting Fresh Pressure On The New O-Line

Despite his extensive experience, Wyatt Teller will commence the season on the Texans' bench, ready to step in as needed.

Wyatt Teller arrived in Houston with the kind of résumé that usually points to an immediate starting job. Instead, the Texans sound prepared to open the season with him in a reserve role.

General manager Nick Caserio made that pretty clear during an appearance on 95.7 The Fan, where he praised Teller’s transition while also hinting that the veteran guard may not be in the first five right away.

“Wyatt’s done a really good job,” Caserio said. “We’ve kinda taxed him a little bit.

He’s got a lot of experience, guard only. Wyatt’s been great, he’s a had a good attitude, good offseason, trained hard, he’s in good condition.

We feel comfortable with Wyatt & if he has to play at some point he’ll go out there & do a really good job. We’re confident in that.”

Houston brought Teller in on a two-year deal this offseason as part of a broader set of offensive line additions. He comes to the Texans after 93 starts over the last seven years with Cleveland, and Caserio said the veteran has handled the adjustment to a new scheme and even work on the left side after spending his Browns years at right guard.

Caserio also previously said first-round OL Keylan Rutledge is “probably the best offensive lineman” they have and feels Rutledge is best suited to play left guard, the same spot Teller has worked.

Teller, 31, entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Bills in 2018. He was in the second year of a four-year, $2.7 million contract and set to make base salaries of $570,000 and $660,000 over the next two seasons when Buffalo traded him to Cleveland coming out of the preseason in 2019.

The Browns later locked him up with a four-year extension worth $56.8 million in November 2021. He was due base salaries of $1.5 million and $2.8 million in the final two years of that deal before reaching unrestricted free agency this past offseason.

That’s when he signed with Houston on a two-year, $16 million contract.

In 2025, Teller appeared in and started 13 games for the Browns at right guard.

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