HOUSTON – Houston Texans head coach David Culley has been hesitant to name starters thus far, but on Monday, he made it official for at least one position: Tyrod Taylor will be his starting quarterback.
“Tyrod Taylor will start for us at quarterback for sure,” Culley told reporters on Monday. “He will start for us on Sunday.”
Recommended Videos
Monday’s announcement is just confirmation for what’s been expected with Deshaun Watson’s current situation with the team. Speaking of Watson, he does have a spot on the Texans’ 53-man roster, but he is listed as “Other” on the Texans’ official depth chart, has not taken part in preseason action, has largely been a spectator at Texans’ practices, and is not expected to play.
“(Tyrod) is the first guy in here, he’s the last guy to leave,” Culley said. “He’s gone through some things the last two years, and I think those experiences have helped him to this point to be able to put him in a position to help lead our football team as he did three years ago when I was with him in Buffalo.”
Dealing with injuries is one of the things Taylor has dealt with. Last season, Taylor started the year as the starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and helped the team win their first game. However, before the second game, a painkiller injection, reportedly administered by the team physician, accidentally punctured his lung and, from that point on, Justin Herbert took over the starting job and kept it.
Taylor’s most notable seasons in his career came when he started for the Buffalo Bills from 2015-17, throwing for a combined 51 touchdown passes to 16 interceptions. Culley was Taylor’s quarterback coach in 2017.
“He’s been a lot more vocal right now than I ever remember him being and that’s been a positive for us,” Culley said.
The Texans open their regular season this Sunday Sept. 12 when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium.