Laremy Tunsil almost lost it all and now he's at the top of the mountain.
Just four years after a video of Tunsil smoking marijuana was leaked during the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, Tunsil has become one of the richest players in NFL history.
Tunsil and the Texans agreed on a three-year deal worth $66 million, according to Steve Wyche and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. $57.85 million is guaranteed. This is the first blockbuster transaction the Texans have made since they traded away superstar wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals for David Johnson and draft picks.
Houston didn't really have a choice here. They lost all leverage to get a team-friendly deal when they traded an avalanche of draft picks to acquire Tunsil from the Miami Dolphins. Houston couldn't afford to let Tunsil walk away for nothing after paying a hefty price for him.
Tunsil is now tied with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones among the highest paid non-quarterbacks in the league, averaging $22 million per year on his extension. Only Khalil Mack ($23,500,000 per year) and Aaron Donald ($22,500,000 per year) are averaging more per year among non-quarterbacks.
That's a boatload of money to pay for an offensive tackle, but at least Tunsil is one of the premier offensive tackles in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Tunsil allowed only 20 pressures on 553 pass block snaps and finished sixth in pass-blocking efficiency among all offensive tackles with at least 375 pass-blocking snaps.
The Texans have Tunsil locked in for a few more seasons, which means they can focus their efforts on getting a long term deal done with star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston has plenty of cap space to play with in the coming years, including a projected $53 million in 2021 according to Over The Cap.
