Tytus Howard’s NFL career thus far has seen him go seven seasons without drawing a fine, and he may even continue without one. Despite that clean record in the league, he just received a fine in the preseason with his new franchise, the Cleveland Browns. That fine has now been revealed to carry a five-figure hit from his latest two-year $45 million extension.

“The NFL fined Howard $12,537 for what it deemed unnecessary roughness during the first quarter of the first preseason game,” Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted on September 4. “Howard got a 15-yard penalty for tripping on the play.”

In addition to the fine being accumulated, the Browns weren’t even able to win that preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

After losing that first preseason game 34-10, they’d go on to lose another game to the Buffalo Bills before managing a win in their final clash against the New England Patriots. For Howard, the incident only pertained to the first game, though, and yet it made waves.

“The $12,537 fine was the biggest fine the NFL has announced for the 2026 preseason, although the league has not yet announced any fines for the third and final week of the preseason,” Smith further wrote in the Pro Football Talk report.

In just the second recorded series for the Cleveland Browns on August 15, the incident took place. Right after KC Concepcion’s punt return, the Browns found themselves on the 43-yard line, but that is when Howard was flagged. The penalty received by the Browns in the moment also hurt, as they received a first and -25.

Though this didn’t happen in an official league game, the rule remains the same. The usage of a leg or the foot of a player in order to stop the opponent, usually the runner, classifies as tripping and comes under the category of a personal foul.

In Howard’s defense, this may have been because of his newfound presence on the ground. Before this, Howard spent seven years with the Houston Texans after being picked by the franchise in the first-round itself (overall no. 23). But that changed earlier in March this year.

On March 11, the trade with the Texans was confirmed as Houston received a 2026 fifth-round pick for the tackle. With a QB1 battle at the heart of the Browns camp, Howard brought experienced protection regardless of who eventually took the starting QB role.

Now, ahead of his first appearance with the Browns, the tackle recently spoke to the media about how he was settling into a new O-line.

Tytus Howard gives an update about building O-line chemistry

On August 29, Tytus Howard spoke to the media about life in the Cleveland Browns locker room and his experience so far. Early in the session, one reporter asked him about being with a whole new O-line and the challenges that this posed.

“All five guys got to be on the same page at all times because if one person busts protection run play that can be the that can mess up the whole play,” Howard answered. “Being able to get all those reps together and be able to be on the same page, especially with five brand new guys…It’s tough, but that’s something we’ve been working through the whole camp, and lately we’ve been getting a lot more reps together, so it’s getting better and better.

Howard brings with him elite experience in sheer game numbers. In the last two years in Houston, ht only failed to start two regular-season games. While 2023 did see a dip in game appearances (7), that was because of a broken hand as well as a knee injury.

Barring that, though, he’s only failed to appear in at least 10 games one more time in his career, and that was his rookie season.

Still, there are some analysts, such as ESPN’s Seth Walder, who believe that the extension may have been an overpay for the now 30-year-old to solve their O-line issue, as he’s now earning about $21-22.5 million yearly.

In any case, for the Browns, protecting their future QB1 will remain the top priority even if it costs a penny or two extra. After all, the franchise is still deciding between four QB options for the upcoming season, including Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green