The Texans informed Brown (hip/shoulder) of his release Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.
Houston's decision to cut ties with Brown comes as a surprise, given that he was signed to a one-year, $3 million guaranteed deal in March and had started in each of the Texans' first three games. The tight end was valued mostly as a blocker but had contributed seven receptions for 72 yards on 10 targets across his 134 offensive snaps on the season. He was inactive for the Texans' Week 4 game due to hip and shoulder injuries, but the team hadn't provided any indication that either issue was expected to result in a long-term absence. Brown's release should free up more snaps for Brevin Jordan (ankle) and O.J. Howard, with Jordan Akins a candidate to be signed from the practice squad to serve as additional depth.