HOUSTON — With the 2023 NFL draft quickly approaching, Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio finally addressed one of the most significant needs for a team expecting to select a quarterback with the second overall pick.
The Texans signed left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a three-year, $75 million extension with $60 million in total guarantees, making Tunsil the highest-paid tackle in NFL history.
“I’m glad to be here with H-Town for another four years,” Tunsil said in his press conference at NRG Stadium. “It was very important to stay here. I consider this home. I built relationships with the coaches. I built relationships with the players. I built relationships with the front office. I built relationships with you guys. So just staying here, talking to you guys daily, talking to my teammates daily, talking to the coaches, it means a lot.”
Tunsil, 28, was very adamant and unwavering when it came to his demands of resetting the offensive tackle market. The former first-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins was voted to his third career Pro Bowl while displaying his durability by playing every offensive snap for the Texans in 2022.
“I’m glad to be here in H-Town for another four years,” said Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil at his press conference on Wednesday to discuss his new contract extension with the team. “It was very important for me to stay here. I consider this home.” #Texans #Sarge… pic.twitter.com/fPTOM9HsdB
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) March 22, 2023
According to Pro Football Focus, he finished first amongst all tackles in the NFL in pass-blocking grade and surrendered just one sack.
“It means a lot for the team to believe in me especially coming from this organization that has unbelievable players like J.J. Watt, Andre Johnson, Vince Wilfork, (Brian) Cushing,” expressed Tunsil when asked about the belief the organization had in him. “It means a lot to me that this organization believed in me and gave me another shot, another four years to contribute to the team.”
His extension comes on the heels of the NFL combine, where new Texans coach DeMeco Ryans and Caserio attended as they prepare for the draft in April. During his press conference, Caserio made it clear that he intended to work with Tunsil, who represents himself on completing a deal.
“Laremy’s been a good player in this league for a long time,” said Caserio. “He’s done a lot of good things for our team. So, I think each individual player, when the time comes, and it’s appropriate to have any conversations, we’ll go ahead and do that. A lot of respect for Laremy. We’ve had good conversations along the way. So, we will see how the offseason goes. I am not going to get into any individual conversations we have with players. But Laremy’s expressed his sentiments about wanting to be here in Houston.”
Tunsil has become one of a handful of NFL players who negotiate on their behalf instead of an agent. This is the second successful contract that has made him the highest-played player at his position in history, all done with the help of some outside consultants who were only there to guide him on the contract’s language.
“I always wanted to be the CEO of my business team,” said Tunsil. “I always wanted to be the guy that leads my team. So, I hired the team, which includes Saint Omni, Laolu Sanni and Alexandra (Meaza). I wanted to do something that has never happened before. Making history for the second time in a row. Nobody has ever done that besides me. I always wanted to be the leader to start something new, and that’s what I did.”
With Tunsil secured, Houston will now focus on attending the multiple pro days of college athletes eligible for the draft.
