The Houston Texans have quietly tweaked Trent Brown’s deal, and the change gives the veteran tackle a bigger payday if he stays on the field.
Per Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti, Houston raised the maximum incentive package in Brown’s contract for the 2026 season from $1.5 million to $2.5 million. Brown’s contract still carries a base value of $5.5 million for one season, but the new structure gives him more room to cash in based on playing time.
That matters because Brown is back in the starting lineup. He has been named the Texans’ Week 1 right tackle after offseason addition Braden Smith suffered a foot injury in training camp and was placed on injured reserve for a minimum of four weeks.
Brown’s first run with Houston helped earn him the extra year. He finished last season as the team’s starting right tackle for the final seven games of the regular season, and the Texans went 7-0 in those starts. He also started in Houston’s 30-6 Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The revised incentive structure now gives Brown a chance to pick up an additional $1 million if he reaches 70% of the Texans’ offensive snaps. The bonuses break down like this: 50% gets him $500,000, 55% gets him $500,000, 60% gets him $500,000, 65% gets him $500,000, and 70% gets him $500,000.
Based on last season’s offensive snap total, 70% would come out to a little over 750 snaps, which lines up with being a full-time starter in about 12 regular-season games.
That’s not out of the question. Brown is expected to hold down the right side at least through Week 5, and if he plays well while Smith is out, he could keep the job longer and help Houston preserve continuity up front.
Health has always been the big question with Brown, though. He has reached more than 750 snaps and 12 games played in only three seasons in his career, and in each of those years he logged over 1,000 snaps: 2016, 2018 and 2022. Last season, he did not take over at right tackle until Week 10 because of injury.
If he stays steady opposite Aireontae Ersery, Brown’s $5.5 million deal could climb as high as $8 million by season’s end.
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