Texans' Pharaoh Brown Sets All-Pro Goals For 2022
HOUSTON — Pharaoh Brown exploded onto the scene for the Houston Texans as a late acquisition during the 2020 season. He played in eight games and established himself as a reliable target for former quarterback Deshaun Watson by catching 14 out of a possible 16 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
The franchise expected Brown to sustain his on-field production the following year, but the 2021 campaign was an inefficient year.
Last season's disappointments resulted in Brown using the off-season to free his mind through meditation and attending a pair of retreats. And when he wasn't away from football, Brown spent most of the off-season developing chemistry with quarterback Davis Mills.
Brown entered mandatory minicamp Tuesday morning with a peaceful mind and better understanding of his role, which has the 6-foot-6 tight end believing that he can accomplish a lot in 2022.
"I feel like I can accomplish a lot this year — one-day focus for me," Brown said following practice at Houston Methodist Training Center. "The game has just slowed down for me and understanding all the fine line details. That's going to help me be an all-pro this year."
In addition to the meditation and on-field reps with Mills, enhancing his body frame was another point of emphasis for Brown.
Brown said he spent time working with his personal trainer and Texans' wellness coach throughout the offseason and feels he is moving like a receiver due to his slimmer body.
Despite being quicker with better body control on the field, the Texans' off-season acquisition of Pep Hamilton as offensive coordinator is the primary reason Brown feels comfortable proclaiming 2022 as an All-Pro year.
Brown's expectations with Hamilton at the helm transcends his individual goals. He believes the entire tight-end corps will benefit with Hamilton in charge of the offense — including second-year prospect Brevin Jordan.
"History shows that this has been a very tight end friendly offense everywhere Pep has been — Stanford, Colts, at Michigan," Brown said. "I don't think the trend will change with the Texans. It's a great opportunity for me and Brevin. Just helping the young guys. It's really just day by day. Day by day, and that's it."
Brown appeared in a career-high 15 games last season and recorded 171 yards on 23 catches. Despite setting a career-best in receiving yards, Brown's yards per reception declined from 11.6 in 2020 to 7.4 in 2021.
