JJ Watt pays tribute to Bryan Braman as ex-Texans DE dies at 38 after fierce cancer battle - "Gone too soon"

Bryan Braman signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2011 NFL season. This sparked a seven-year career that included winning a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The former defensive end tragically passed away recently after a battle with cancer at just 38 years old. According to TMZ, he had a rare and aggressive form of cancer that required intense treatment around the clock.

Braman's former teammate with the Texans, JJ Watt, was one of the many to respond to the devastating news.

"Rest in peace brother. Gone far too soon," Watt tweeted on X on Thursday.

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Bryan Braman and JJ Watt joined the Houston Texans in the same 2011 season, and they played as defensive ends for the franchise.

Watt spent the first ten seasons of his legendary career in Houston, and the first three of those were with Braman on the Texans' roster. Watt won the Defensive Player of the Year award in their second season together and was also selected as a first-team All-Pro in two of those three years. He did so with Braman by his side, who played in 46 of the 48 games across those three seasons with the Texans.

Bryan Braman's NFL career prior to battling cancer

Bryan Braman

After spending his first three years with the Houston Texans with JJ Watt, Bryan Braman joined the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2014 NFL season. He appeared in every game across his first three years with his new team before contributing to his greatest career accomplishment during the 2017 season.

Braman was part of the Eagles' roster that defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII in one of the most iconic upsets of all time. They did so with relentless defensive pressure off the edge, which is Braman's position. This heavily contributed to their victory, despite playing with backup quarterback Nick Foles in the contest.

Their three-game run in the NFL Playoffs concluded with a Vince Lombardi trophy as Braman played in all the games. He also forced a fumble and recorded a solo tackle during the postseason run. This Super Bowl was the final official game of his NFL career, making it a storybook ending.

Edited by Adam Hulse