Pro Football Rumors
Another offseason featuring significant offensive line questions brought more changes in Houston. The team used its first-round pick on a college guard, doing so after re-signing Ed Ingram and adding Wyatt Teller in free agency.
As KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson points out, Keylan Rutledge played 98.3% of his college snaps — at Middle Tennessee State and Georgia Tech — at right guard. Though, the eventual first-rounder participated in some center work at the Senior Bowl. Rutledge also spent time at center and guard during the Texans’ offseason program.
Although Rutledge saw some work at guard this offseason, Wilson indicates he will vie for the Texans’ center job with incumbent Jake Andrews. This would be aimed at forming a “best five” configuration for Houston up front, with Teller and Ingram lining up at guard. Ingram is locked in at right guard, per ESPN.com’s DJ Bien-Aime, while Teller has not solidified the LG position yet. Rutledge may factor into that mix during training camp as well, Bien-Aime adds.
The Texans chose Rutledge 26th overall, doing so after the Titans made an attempt to move in front of them for the former Yellowjackets standout. Ingram re-signed with Houston — on a three-year, $37.5MM deal — just before the legal tampering period; the team signed Teller (two years, $16MM) more than a week later. It would stand to reason, as our Rory Parks noted earlier this offseason, the Texans would attempt to form a Teller-Rutledge-Ingram trio to ensure their top investments started together. While the team indeed appears set to try this, Andrews will attempt to use his experience to stave off the rookie.
Andrews won Houston’s center job out of camp last year and started 16 games. This came after the former Patriots fourth-round pick missed the 2024 season and made one start in 2023. The Texans claimed Andrews after the Patriots waived him last April. New England had placed the 2023 draftee on IR in August 2024 and eventually discarded him as Mike Vrabel‘s tenure began months later. Pro Football Focus graded Andrews as the NFL’s No. 28-ranked center last season. Though, it should be noted the Texans’ O-line coach — Cole Popovich — was Andrews’ position coach during his final season at Troy (2022). That undoubtedly influenced the Texans’ waiver claim last year and certainly figures to factor into the upcoming camp battle.
The Texans traded former second-rounder Juice Scruggs, who had been viewed as a potential center regular earlier in his career, to the Lions in the David Montgomery deal. The team has not enjoyed center continuity since Nick Martin‘s stint wrapped in 2020, cycling through a few options since. One season remains on Andrews’ rookie contract, while Rutledge is signed through 2029 — with a fifth-year option through 2030 available down the road. Rutledge could become a long-term option, but with Teller more of a bridge option than a long-term fix, it is also possible the first-rounder’s future will be at left guard.
It would seem Rutledge, who received late...
