The Houston Texans will sign a veteran quarterback while they also look to keep Deshaun Watson on the roster. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Texans have reached an agreement with Tyrod Taylor to a 1-year contract worth up to $12.5 million. Taylor was a member of the Los Angeles Chargers and was the team’s starter before the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert took over.
As the 2021 NFL league year begins, Taylor and Watson will be the only two quarterbacks on the Texans roster. However, that could change later in the spring as Watson asked to be traded. He was frustrated with the hiring process of general manager Nick Caserio, but the Texans said they have no plans to trade Watson. Signing Taylor gives the Texans a Plan B if the team trades Watson or if Watson holds out.
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Watson has been with the Texans since 2017 and has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. He was having a strong rookie season in 2017 before tearing his ACL in November of that year. But he was able to have a strong 2018 campaign, throwing for 4,165 yards and 29 touchdowns and leading the Texans to an 11-5 record as well as an AFC South title. In 2019, Watson threw for 3,852 yards and 26 touchdowns while leading the Texans to a 10-5 record in 15 games. The Texans defeated the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs but lost to Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round. Last year, the Texans finished the season with a 4-12 record, but Watson had his best NFL season to date. He led the league in passing with 4,823 yards while throwing for 33 touchdowns and posting a 112.4 QB rating.
Taylor spent the last two seasons with the Chargers and played in 10 games. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round and was a backup for Joe Flacco. In his four seasons, Taylor played in 14 games and helped the team win the Super Bowl in 2012. Taylor then played for the Buffalo Bills for two seasons before joining the Cleveland Browns in 2018. In his career, Taylor has thrown for 9,770 yards, 54 touchdowns and has recorded an 89.5 passer rating.
