The Houston Texans shook up their roster yet again ahead of a Week 14 road tilt against the Kansas City Chiefs, this time moving out Laken Tomlinson in a move that officially settles one of the more polarizing position groups on the roster.
Tomlinson is the second offseason addition the Texans have permanently moved on from during the campaign.
His departure also comes with some risk.
Texans Move on From OG Laken Tomlinson
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 is helped up by Laken Tomlinson #75 of the Houston Texans against the Tennessee Titans.
“The #Texans waived G Laken Tomlinson, per the team,” The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander reported on X on December 2. “Tomlinson had been a healthy scratch the past two games after losing his starting spot weeks ago.”
The Texans signed Tomlinson to a one-year, $4.2 million contract in free agency this past offseason. The deal included $2.5 million in guarantees.
Tomlinson’s last start for the Texans came in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos.
Tomlinson, who has earned $55 million in his career, departs having started seven of ten games and a 41% snap share, per Pro Football Reference. He had rotated with Juice Scruggs at LG before the Texans shifted Tytus Howard from right tackle inside, putting Trent Brown at RT.
The Texans’ offensive line ranks 28th in ESPN’s Pass Block Win Rate and 32nd – dead last – in Run Block Win Rate entering Week 14.
With Tomlinson gone, at least for now, the Texans need their new-look group to settle in.
Texans Moved On From Top-5 Run Blocker on Team
GettyAireontae Ersery #79 of the Houston Texans and Laken Tomlinson #75 block Tershawn Wharton #92 of the Carolina Panthers.
Pro Football Focus graded Tomlinson as the team’s second-worst pass protector, ahead of only Sidy Sow, and their third-worst overall.
He again ranked ahead of Sow but also Scruggs in that category.
Brown, Blake Fisher, Ed Ingram, and Cam Robinson, who is no longer on the team, are the only Texans offensive linemen who have graded out better in run blocking, an area Houston has struggled in, this season.
They rank 23rd in rushing yards and tied for the seventh-fewest yards before contact per rushing attempt, per PFR.
Tomlinson was the No. 28 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Detroit Lions.
He has also played for the New York Jets and the Seattle Seahawks. Tomlinson was a 2021 Pro Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was an assistant on that 49ers team, which still has Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmie Ward on the 2025 Houston squad.
Now one of them, Tomlinson, is free to seek out another opportunity before the 2025 season comes to a close.
Texans Continue Fine-Tuning Roster
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on against the Buffalo Bills.
The Texans released 2025 offseason trade pickup C.J. Gardner-Johnson after Week 3. That move has left the Texans scrambling as injuries have struck their secondary. They have already navigated injuries up front.
They could be in a precarious spot if another rash strikes at this late stage in the NFL calendar.
It is also possible that Tomlinson returns to the Texans, as a member of the practice squad, assuming he clears waivers.
That is what the Texans did with Brown earlier in the season, cutting the Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion at the end of the preseason and signing him to their practice squad the following day and, in October, re-signing him to the 53-man roster.
That lays out a clear path back to the Texans for Tomlinson, if he so chooses and they agree.
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