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All Pro left tackle Duane Brown is reportedly back in Houston to suit up for the Texans.
#Texans LT Duane Brown is back with the team, source said. His holdout is over.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 23, 2017
Physically, #Texans LT Duane Brown is ready for practice. Would also be healthy if the team decided to trade him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 23, 2017
Barring the unforeseen, #Texans LT Duane Brown is back to play for his team, not get traded. They get a star LT back for the final 10 games
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 23, 2017
Texans can get a 2 week roster exemption for Brown. When he's ready to play, he'll be activated and play LT, as always, possibly Sunday
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) October 23, 2017
Brown missed all of preseason activities and the first six games of the regular season. We can only speculate that Brown wanted to renegotiate his contract, or force a trade, although no official “holdout” was ever declared.
Essentially, Brown enjoyed a couple of months on a beach in Southern California, which cost him roughly $3 million. He has to be available for at least eight games, or he won’t get credit for this season. Failing to be credited for the 2017 season would mean the Texans would still have the rights to two years remaining on Brown’s contract through 2019.
Houston’s players won’t likely hold this against Brown, as it is widely accepted that you stay out of each other’s business when it comes to contracts and money. The fans, on the other hand, may take a while to warm back up and receive a player who turned his back on the team for the first six games of the year.
What say you? Are you glad to have Duane Brown back in the building, or are you turning a cold shoulder until he does something on the field to again earn your respect?