The Houston Texans have lost starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a hamstring injury that could sideline him for four weeks.
In the latest development in the Houston Texans quarterback saga, Tyrod Taylor has been sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered in their Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
While the injury timeline is still unknown, the pained hamstring could put Taylor on IR.
Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor sidelined with hamstring injury
Originally drafted in 2011 as the backup to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor is nearing Ryan Fitzpatrick-level moves with five NFL teams in ten years. Prone to misfortune, Taylor has been on four different teams in the past five years.
Like the Texans, Taylor’s career has been in a tragic downward spiral for years. A promising preseason with the Los Angles Chargers last year was punctuated with a wayward needle that punctured his lung. Once Justin Herbert hit the field, any hopes of a return were deflated, and the journeyman quarterback sets his sights east to benefit from the quarterback debacle in Houston. Of course, he happened to be sidelined in a failed revenge game against his former team.
In fact, Week 2 has proven to bring Tyrod Taylor nothing but pain and misery for three different NFL seasons — and each time, it’s opened the door for a new quarterback to permanently take his place.
At the moment, rookie quarterback Davis Mills will start in Taylor’s place, while Jeff Driskel is expected to be elevated from the practice squad.
Mills was the Texans’ first pick of the draft, although he came in the third round with pick No. 67, a direct result of Bill O’Brien’s ingenious trades. Mills only played 13 games in two college seasons, but his powerful arm caught the eye of NFL scouts sat Stanford and at his pro day.
“He’s outstanding in the play-action passing game, but lacks athleticism,” reads an NFL.com post-draft analysis.
If Mills or Driskel doesn’t pan out and Taylor is out longer than expected, the Texans could begin looking for a new franchise QB altogether. The injury could even be a potential opening for current free agent quarterback Cam Newton.
If Taylor maintains the grit Texans running back Phillip Lindsay described in a recent press conference, perhaps he’ll maintain his future in the league.