Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson remains on the Houston Texans’ roster, but he won’t be the one leading the team in the 2021 NFL season. Instead, the franchise turned to veteran Tyrod Taylor as their main man under center.
The news was confirmed by Houston Texans head coach David Culley in a chat with reporters on Monday.
“Tyrod Taylor will start for us at quarterback, for sure,” said Culley.
Considering Deshaun Watson’s trade request early in the offseason, the move was widely expected to happen. But Culley didn’t commit to Taylor until now. Besides the duo, Houston also has this year’s third-round pick Davis Mills, who will serve in the backup role. Veteran Jeff Driskel will wait for his chance on the practice squad.
Recent reports indicated that Watson’s days with Texans are definitely numbered but that the franchise isn’t willing to trade the 25-year-old star before they receive an offer they are comfortable with.
Tyrod Taylor spent 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was the team’s starting quarterback in Week 1, leading the Chargers to a 16-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Ahead of Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor suffered a rib injury that opened the door for rookie Justin Herbert to take the reins of the offense. Despite recovering a few weeks later, Taylor remained a backup.
Taylor has 9,770 career passing yards with 54 touchdowns from his time with the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Chargers. He had a lone Pro Bowl appearance in 2016.
