The Houston Texans are gearing up for the 2025 campaign, and they have high hopes for what the season will hold after making it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs for the second straight year in 2024. Ahead of the start of training camp, the team was dealt some difficult news regarding one of their former players, Bryan Braman, leading to a heartfelt reaction from franchise legend J.J. Watt.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Braman, who started his career in the NFL with the Texans, was fighting for his life against a rare form of cancer. On Thursday morning, it was revealed that Braman had tragically died at the age of 38 years old, leading to Watt sharing a touching message on social media.
J.J. Watt Reacts to Bryan Braman’s Tragic Death
Braman broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Texans back in 2011, quickly emerging as a key piece on their special teams’ units. A linebacker by trade, Braman rarely took the field on defense, but he still managed to find a way to make an impact for his team. In three seasons with the team, Braman racked up 38 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery.
After the 2013 season, Braman signed a two-year, $3.15 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. He would spend the next four seasons of his career with the Eagles, helping them win Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots. As it turns out, that would be the final game of his NFL career.
Braman’s battle with cancer took a turn for the worse earlier in July, with a GoFundMe being created to help with his fight. Watt was one of the contributors, donating $10,000 to Braman in hopes that he would be able to get healthy. Unfortunately, Braman passed away on Thursday, with Watt sending a touching message on social media that paid tribute to his former Texans teammate.
“Rest in Peace brother. Gone far too soon,” Watt said in a post on X.
J.J. Watt, Bryan Braman Broke into NFL Together in 2011 With Texans
GettyJ.J. Watt celebrates a sack.
Similar to Braman, Watt entered the NFL in 2011, which is a big reason why they were so close to each other, as they endured the transition from college to the pros together. While Watt entered the league with much higher expectations than Braman, as he was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2011 draft, that didn’t change the fact that they were both very important to the Texans from the get-go in their own unique way.
Watt has since retired from the league after the 2022 season, and he is a surefire Hall of Famer once he becomes eligible to enter the prestigious group. As for the present Texans’ squad, there’s reason to believe they could take another step forward in 2025 after announcing themselves as a consistent playoff contender over the past two years. But before they take the field for training camp, which starts next week, they will mourn the untimely passing of Braman alongside Watt.
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