Veteran Tackle Cleared to Play Despite Injuries
Houston Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown has been cleared to play in Monday’s wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, bringing the team’s offensive line back to full strength after two weeks sidelined with knee and ankle injuries.
Brown suffered the injuries when his leg was rolled up during a regular-season victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Though he participated in limited practices last week, the Texans held him out to ensure a full recovery. He received no injury designation ahead of the postseason matchup.
‘It’s a Game for Warriors’
Despite not being 100% healthy, the veteran tackle expressed confidence in his ability to contribute. “I’m playing,” Brown told reporters. “At this point in the season, everybody is dealing with something. Regardless of what you got going on, if you can get out there with a little bit of pain or whatever, you make it shake. It’s a game for warriors. You just gotta do some warrior s—.”
At 32 years old and standing 6-foot-8, 380 pounds, Brown brings over a decade of NFL experience and 103 career starts to Houston’s offensive line. A former Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, he protected Tom Brady’s blind side and earned Pro Bowl honors with the Raiders before joining the Trent Brown Texans roster this offseason on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Reinforced Offensive Line Ready for Steelers Rush
The Trent Brown NFL veteran’s return solidifies a Texans offensive line that has not allowed a sack in three consecutive games. The complete unit now features Brown at right tackle, Ed Ingram at right guard, Jake Andrews at center, Tytus Howard at left guard, and rookie Aireontae Ersery at left tackle.
“We feel pretty confident, great week of preparation,” Brown said. “Everybody’s locked in. Their rush, it’s not just one guy, T.J. Watt, everybody knows T.J., but it’s a lot of guys. It’s high stakes. This is the challenge for us. Respect and credit to those guys, it’s pretty much an All-Pro defense, from top to bottom.”
The Steelers defense features DPOY candidate T.J. Watt alongside fellow pass rushers Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Keanu Benton, who each recorded at least five sacks this season. Brown will be tasked with slowing the charge while protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud, whose sack rate has improved from 8.9% to 5.16% this season.
Brown praised Stroud’s preparation and focus since returning from a concussion, noting the quarterback has elevated his urgency and performance. “He’s super locked in,” Brown said. “I think he’s super locked in. We just gotta do our best to let him do what he does best back there, keep him upright, keep him safe, keep him untouched as best we can.”
The Texans aim for their first road playoff victory in franchise history, riding a nine-game winning streak into Pittsburgh. Brown, a free agent after the season, expressed a desire to remain with Houston beyond 2026, calling the team “the closest group I’ve been a part of since 2018.”
