Texans' benched former 1st-round pick is a trade candidate

   

As the Texans chase a Super Bowl, Houston has an intriguing decision to make at the trade deadline.

I wasn't playing well': Texans' Kenyon Green honest about Colts' game

The Houston Texans moved to 6-2 with their win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. But as they look to chase a Super Bowl, the Texans could tinker with their roster ahead of the trade deadline.

That includes trading away guard Kenyon Green. The former first-round pick is on the radar of many teams around the league, via Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. There's no word on how far any trade talks have gone, if anywhere. However, it's clear that Green is a person of interest ahead of the deadline.

While interest ramped up in Green prior to Week 8, he became much more available after the Texans; antics. After allowing a first quarter sack, Green was benched in favor of Jarrett Patterson. After Patterson suffered an injury, Green re-entered the game. However, he knows his play wasn't up to par and that his benching was justified, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

“I wasn't playing well,” Green said. “So, they had to make changes. It's football. You got ups and downs. So, just continue to keep going, keep pushing.”

The Texans made Green a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Since then, he has appeared in 23 games for the team, starting 22 of them. He started the first eight games of the season for Houston, but has earned a cringeworthy 39.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. His 43.5 run blocking grade ranks 103 out of 110 eligible guards. His pack blocking hasn't been much better, ranking 88 out of 110 with a 44.1 grade.

Still, it wasn't long ago that Kenyon Green was considered one of the more promising offensive line prospects entering the league. Houston clearly liked what they saw when they drafted him. But the Texans' goals are all now focused on the present.

They can't afford to watch Green struggle as he continues to develop. At the trade deadline, the Texans can move Green and look to improve their offensive line elsewhere. At least, that's what NFL pundits believe will happen.