The Houston Texans have been getting a lot of publicity lately, mainly due to the fact that they have J.J. Watt who was voted as the best player in the NFL by his peers. But there’s another reason they get a lot of attention and it’s due to their inability to have a solid quarterback for longer than a season at a time. They’re the AFC South’s version of the Cleveland Browns, except with an actual chance to get into the playoffs.
But second-year head coach Bill O’Brien is set to change all that. (Well, the “not having a fixture at quarterback” thing. I’m sure he likes J.J. Watt just fine.)
The Texans have announced that their new starting quarterback will be Brian Hoyer, who played surprisingly well for the Cleveland Browns last year. Hoyer has also played for the Patriots, Steelers and Cardinals in his six years in the league.
O’Brien made the announcement on Monday, citing Hoyer’s consistency throughout OTA practices and camp as one part of how he got the job and also stated that he has experience with their offense, leading it more smoothly than Mallet.
During the announcement, O’Brien made some positive comments about Ryan Mallet, but ultimately sided with Hoyer:
“I have a ton of respect for Ryan Mallet. I believe in him as a player … We all need to give Brian Hoyer a chance. I believe in him. I believe in his ability to run our offense efficiently.”
Alas, Hoyer was the one who came out on top and it looks like he will finally be rewarded with a starting spot — and the chance to get out from under the shadow of Johnny Manziel. It will be interesting to see if Hoyer starts the whole season or if the job will ever be given to Mallet.
