The Houston Texans have gone 1-6 since rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson tore his ACL in early November, and the team quickly fell out of playoff contention. Since then, the season has turned into an audition for next season’s backup quarterback, and it's clear there's no good option on the roster.
In Sunday’s 45-7 loss to the first-place Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback T.J. Yates was 12-of-31 for 128 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He finished the game with a passer rating of 48.9. Yates especially struggled in the first half, completing just 5 of 14 passes for 31 yards and an interception.
Yates was starting in place of Tom Savage, who is still in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Savage began the season as the Texans’ starting quarterback but was benched for Watson at halftime of the season opener. While Watson was always in the Texans’ long-term plans after they traded two first-round draft picks to take him at No. 12, Savage had the chance to earn a job elsewhere or as the Texans’ backup going forward.
Instead, Savage completed just 56.1 percent of his passes for 1,412 yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games this season. He had a QBR of 33.8.
Part of the reason Savage started for as long as he did was because the Texans did not have a better option after Watson went down. Houston released third-stringer Brandon Weeden before the season, opting instead to use his roster spot elsewhere. Weeden signed with the Tennessee Titans in early October.
After Watson tore his ACL, the Texans signed Yates, who had previously played two stints with the Texans but had not thrown a pass in a regular-season game since 2015.
Watson had ACL surgery on his right leg on Nov. 8 and was given a projected timeline of eight to nine months for his return. July will mark eight months since the surgery and Watson is expected to be back in time for the start of the season. Watson tore his left ACL during his freshman year at Clemson and returned in five months.
Obviously, the Texans would prefer not to have to rely on their backup quarterback at all next year, but with Watson rehabbing from his injury and a shaky offensive line, it is a position that needs to be addressed before the 2018 season.