Houston Texans and Tommy Townsend have agreed on a two-year deal
TEXANS NEWS
12 March 2024
The Texans addressed the punter position. Photo by Bob Levey/ Getty Images.
The Houston Texans and punter Tommy Townsend have agreed on a two-year, $6 million deal, a person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal isn’t finalized. Townsend, a 2022 All-Pro, is leaving the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after four seasons.
His departure leaves Matt Araiza as the lone punter on Kansas City’s roster. Araiza signed with the Chiefs last month. He was dropped from a lawsuit in December that had been filed by a woman who alleged she was raped by San Diego State football players in 2021.
The accusation against Araiza led the Buffalo Bills to release him shortly after selecting him in the NFL draft. Prosecutors later declined to file criminal charges against him after concluding that he wasn't present at the party when the alleged rape could have occurred.
Townsend averaged 47.1 yards per punt in 2023 with a net average of 41.9.
How Texans are poised for most unpredictable draft in the Stroud era
Apr 21, 2025, 2:46 pm
The Houston Texans are entering the 2025 NFL Draft with a roster on the rise and a franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud—but what happens next is anything but certain.
Draft experts are calling this year’s class one of the most difficult to project, especially in the back half of the first round, where opinions on prospects vary widely. For the Texans, who hold the No. 25 overall pick, this presents both opportunity and risk. With no glaring positional holes but several areas in need of long-term upgrades, Houston’s approach will provide insight into how the front office views its roster—and, more specifically, how it plans to protect its most valuable asset: Stroud.
Stroud was sacked 52 times last season, second only to Chicago's Caleb Williams. That reality underscores the Texans’ top priority heading into the draft: fortifying the offensive line. How they do that could reveal what they truly think of tackle Blake Fisher and whether Tytus Howard’s future lies at guard or tackle.
A number of linemen are on the Texans’ radar for their first-round pick, including Alabama interior mauler Tyler Booker, versatile North Dakota State tackle Gray Zabel, and Oregon’s athletic pass protector Josh Conerly. Texas standout Kelvin Banks and Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson also bring physicality and pedigree, while Josh Simmons of Ohio State is a long-term project coming off a torn patellar tendon.
Still, wide receiver is the other major position of interest. If Houston opts to go wideout in the first round, names like Arizona’s Tet McMillan, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, Missouri’s Luther Burden, and Texas' Matthew Golden offer a blend of polish, upside, and explosiveness.
A best-case scenario? The Texans land an offensive lineman in the first round and then leverage their extra third-round pick to trade up for a sliding receiver like Burden early in the second. That would give Houston immediate trench help and another weapon for Stroud without having to choose between the two priorities.
No matter what direction the Texans go, this year’s draft is set to be the most unpredictable of the Stroud era. And that might be just how Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans like it.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as the crew from Texans on Tap discusses all the topics above and much more!
And be sure to watch our live reaction to the Texans' first round pick this Thursday night on our SportsMap Texans YouTube channel!
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