Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard (71) during the game against the New York Giants at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Texans Veteran Had One-Word Reaction to Describe Offensive Line

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 10:18 AM ET

The Houston Texans are entering the 2025 NFL season with a lot of changes taking place on their offensive line after a busy offseason at the position.

Though, one name who's remained in the mix, as he has for the past six seasons, is Texans veteran Tytus Howard, a 16-game starter across 2024 who now eyes his seventh career year in Houston, shifting from the outside of the line to inside at right guard.

Despite the adjustments in the offensive trenches, when asking Howard about this group upfront, still led by the same mind as the past two seasons of Cole Popovich, he had one word to describe what to expect from this line for the season ahead: nasty.

"You gotta play with a lot of grit,” Howard said in an interview with KPRC2's Aaron Wilson. “When offensive lines are physical, that don’t take [expletive] from nobody, and they just establish the dominance up front, he exemplifies that every morning, every day on the field. And you want that in the coach because you’re only gonna rub off on the offensive line, and [Cole Popovich] holds us to a high standard."

Popovich has been with the Texans since arriving aboard as Troy University's offensive line coach, while also having tenure aboard the New England Patriots' coaching staff alongside legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. In 2023, he found his way to Houston to where he's now on his way to being a part of a third-straight division title in the AFC South.

Of course, this year could have more challenges for Popovich than his time before, simply due to the turnover at the position, but in the mind of Howard, his offensive line coach is exactly what this group needs for the season ahead.

So for the Texans, there's a least some remaining continuity on the sidelines with Popovich, but it remains to be seen how the new group on the field manages to adjust for the season ahead after a busy few months of work on the position group.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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