HOUSTON – Teagan Quitoriano caught some serious air, leaping high for a touchdown catch Thursday night in a loss to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles.
The Texans’ rookie tight end, activated from injured reserve-designated for return before kickoff after recovering from a knee injury and returning to practice in October, made his NFL debut. And Quitoriano was a hit, making an immediate impact.
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The 6-foot-6, 258-pound fifth-round draft pick from Oregon State became the fifth player in franchise history to catch a touchdown in his first career game and the first since tight end Brevin Jordan last year. He’s the third player in franchise history to catch a touchdown on his first career reception, joining Derick Armstrong in 2003 and Jaelen Strong in 2015.
“At the time, it was a really cool experience,” Quitoriano said of the first-quarter touchdown that briefly gave the Texans the lead over Philadelphia, who went on to win the game. “Kind of bitter now, with the result. At the time, it was a really cool experience.”
An honorable-mention All-Pac-12 selection in 2020 when he caught 14 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown, Quitoriano caught 19 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns last season. He missed some time at training camp and during the offseason with a knee injury.
The Texans like what they saw from Quitoriano
“Very pleased,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “We played a lot of rookies, and he was the last one injury-wise that we wanted to see. We’ve seen some signs of that in practice, but you know, he can block.
“That’s supposed to be his strong suit. To get his first catch, the first touchdown, that was pretty big. But we have four tight ends that we liked, and we were able to use all of them.”
At 6-foot-6, 258 pounds, Quitoriano has outstanding size. He started as a true freshman for the Beavers. He was an all-state football and basketball selection in Salem, Oregon. He originally committed to Oregon before accepting a scholarship to Oregon State.
“He is a true wide tight end,” Texans quarterback Davis Mills said. “Helps a lot in the run game and does a lot, surprisingly, in the passing game because he is going to go and separate with his speed, and it catches people off guard how fast he is. It’s going to be exciting to see how he develops and keeps getting better each week.”
The Texans are deep at tight end with Quitoriano’s return and display of receiving skills.
They have O.J. Howard, Jordan Akins, Jordan, and Quitoriano to deploy against defenses.
“I think we’re all really versatile guys to help in the run and pass game,” Quitoriano said. “Just keep letting us do our thing, keep letting us make plays.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com