Bucs Gameday

Houston Texans Make Former Buccaneer One Of The Highest-Paid Players At His Position

The former Buccaneer is getting a massive three year contract extension after being traded this offseason.

Dustin Lewis

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Tampa Bay retooled its personnel up-front while getting cheaper along the offensive line in the process. The Buccaneers traded former starting guard Shaq Mason to the Houston Texans while releasing former starting left tackle Donovan Smith, who has since signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Sign Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams Quarterback

Entering the final year of his deal in 2023 with a cap hit of $8.5 million, Houston is looking to keep Mason around for multiple years to protect No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud. On Wednesday, the franchise agreed to a three-year/$36 million extension that includes $22 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus.

With the new deal averaging $12 million per year, Mason will be one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL. He joins a list of offensive guards that includes Atlanta's Chris Lindstrom, Indianapolis' Quinton Nelson, and Green Bay's Elgton Jenkins.

Mason is coming off his lone season with the Buccaneers where he started all 17 regular-season games and the Wild Card loss to Dallas. A teammate of Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, he also played with the quarterback in New England. Mason spent the first seven years of his career with the Patriots after being drafted in 2015 out of Georgia Tech.

The Tennessee native has played eight total seasons at the professional level. He's appeared in 120 games, with 115 starts. Mason was a starter for the Patriots during their championships in Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII.

The Buccaneers will turn to players such as Matt Feiler, Nick Leverett, Aaron Stinnie, Cody Mauch, and John Molchon to replace Mason.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Rookie To Wear Unique Number For First Time In Franchise History

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

Lewis joined BucsGameday when it was founded in 2022. He's also the Editor-In-Chief of NoleGameday. A graduate of Florida State, Lewis has worked for NG since 2016.