The Texans announced Thursday that they have extended the contract of left tackle Duane Brown. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported that the deal is worth $53.4 million over six years with $22.08 million guaranteed. The extension doesn’t begin until 2013.

“I’ve been happy to make it to this point, to the NFL, but once you get here, it’s hard work and I realized that,” Brown told reporters Thursday. “It took me a while to mature and to get to this point in my life where I’ve become a complete pro. I’m just happy that they recognize that and have the confidence in me to extend this great deal.”

Brown has become one of the better left tackles in the NFL. He is entering his fifth year in the NFL, and he has missed just four games in his career. Brown was named second team all-pro by the Associated Press last year.

“As a coach in this business, you love seeing players who do it the right way get rewarded,” coach Gary Kubiak told reporters. “He’s been exceptional since the day he walked in the building, not only as a player but as a person. He’s got a lot of bright years ahead of him so we’re very happy for him. The whole team is.”

Brown was one of a few Texans entering the final season of their contracts. Linebacker Connor Barwin and quarterback Matt Schaub are entering the final year of their deals, but they have yet to receive new deals.

“I understand that they had a lot of confidence in me, a lot of faith in me to not let me play my last year and to extend it and keep me here for a while,” Brown said. “I’m just very grateful. I try to put in as much work as possible and do my part for this team to make it successful, and I’ll continue to do that.”

Brown was a first-round draft pick in 2008. He went to college at Virginia Tech as a tight end but moved to offensive line two weeks before the start of his redshirt sophomore season in 2005.

“He’s been special,” Kubiak said. “From day one when he walked in the door, we said ‘You’re a starter.’ We put a lot of pressure on him. He had not played tackle a long time in college. Remember, he was a tight end at one time. So, the progress that he made with the load that was put on him early in his career, he responded to and he’s been good ever since.”

Quick Hits

  • Kubiak said that right tackle Derek Newton would start this weekend alongside right guard Antoine Caldwell against San Francisco. “I think Newton deserves a chance to go out there as starter this week,” Kubiak said. “It’s not anything [Rashad] Butler did, and the young guard [Brandon Brooks] isn’t ready to go do that if I put him in there right now. We’ll give Newton a chance but between him and Butler, they’re going to play the same amount of plays. It’s still a hell of a battle going on.”
  • Kubiak has liked what he’s seen out of linebacker Mister Alexander. “Health is the biggest issue,” Kubiak said. “He’s healthy. He has not missed a practice and hasn’t missed a rep and when you do that, you get better as a player and, obviously, it’s showed.”
  • Nose tackle Shaun Cody gave an update on his back injury. He hopes to be back before the end of the preseason. “Everything’s starting to tighten up and calm down in there,” Cody told reporters. “It’s going to be a process, of course, but I start feeling better every day. I’m starting to do some rehab stuff from tightening my core and getting that stuff ready. So, it’s going in the right direction.”

Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter, @CBSSportsNFLHOU.