ARLINGTON – Running behind Tytus Howard brings a smile to veteran Houston Texans running back Mark Ingram.

Now that the converted right tackle continues to gain comfort as the Texans’ starting left guard, Howard may have found a new home at a different position.

Former Alabama State first-round pick is currently expected to line up next to Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil on the left side. Unless the Texans introduce an injured Lane Taylor to right guard and Max Scharping moves from right guard to left guard, the Texans could start the season with Howard as left guard.

“Tytus is a beast,” Ingram said. “He’s a big man. He’s super athletic. He can run well. He’s physical. He will only get better. I’m glad he’s my left guard.

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Activated from the reserve-COVID-19 roster last week after missing the Green Bay Packers game as close contact with Tunsil, who tested positive, Howard played 19 snaps against the Dallas Cowboys during the ‘a 20-14 victory at AT&T Stadium.

“Individually I’m not really sure,” Texans coach David Culley said. “I didn’t watch the video, but it was good to have him there. He had a good week of training when he came back from the Covid protocol he was on, and then we’ll just see when we watch the video. ”

Signed on a four-year, $ 12.225 million contract that includes a fifth-year option for the club, Howard is in much better health this season. A year ago, he suffered a tough offseason that included recovering from knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, a procedure to fix a broken finger and a lack of offseason practices due to the coronavirus pandemic . He ended up starting slowly.

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Now the Texans are seeing Howard return to the form that made him a rookie selection.

“He’s everywhere,” Tunsil said earlier at training camp. “He’s doing a great job. Everyone knows how Tytus Howard is doing. He’s a good guy, he’s a great player, he’s improving every day.

Howard allowed just two sacks last season but was penalized 11 times. Often times Howard had to overcompensate to bail out right guard Zach Fulton, who recently retired from the New York Giants. This created a difficult situation on the right side as Fulton regularly gave up a lot of pressure including 11 sacks.

A former quarterback who has gained 100 pounds since high school, Howard remains a work in progress.

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Howard has only played left guard once in a regular season game, playing 64 snaps in 2019 in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I’m a lot more comfortable now than when I was a rookie because when I was a rookie it was all new to me so I just got put in and I didn’t never played indoors before, whereas now I have played guard before, “said Howard.” I have a lot of reps on the left side so I’m very comfortable being both. sides. ”

The right tackle, however, is Howard’s natural stance. This is where he feels most at home.

“I’m very comfortable playing a straight tackle,” said Howard. “My goal is to come in, do my best job on the right tackle and do my best job on the left guard, left tackle. So whatever position they put me in, it’s my goal is to give it my all in every position because I love to play, so being on the pitch makes me happy, makes my team happy, so it’s is what i want to do. “

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