The Houston Texans will have a new starting quarterback for the 2021 NFL season. On Monday, head coach David Culley confirmed that Tyrod Taylor would make his franchise debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars this coming Sunday and not disgruntled star Deshaun Watson.
Though the announcement was expected, Culley had refused to make his selection of Taylor official until this week, making Texans fans wonder if he was still considering Watson to be his Week 1 starter against the Jaguars. That won't be the case at all with Watson, who is still on Houston's 53-man roster, expected to be a healthy scratch on game days for the Texans this season.
Watson and Texans soon headed for divorce?
This is just the latest chapter in the ongoing drama between Watson and the Texans. After throwing for a career-high 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns last season, Watson made it clear to the Texans top brass that he wanted out of Houston. Watson requested a trade back in January because of his unhappiness with the Texans' leadership and direction and his perceived lack of input on certain team decisions.
Before the Texans can even pull the trigger on a trade this past offseason, some women hurled accusations of sexual assault and misconduct during massage sessions against Watson last March. At least 22 women filed civil lawsuits against the Texans quarterback, forcing the NFL and law enforcement to conduct separate investigations.
With Watson in danger of being fined, suspended, or even facing criminal charges, NFL teams interested in the Texans star decided to change course. They focused their attention instead on the NFL Draft to improve their quarterback positions.
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Tyrod Taylor in the hot seat after replacing Watson
So here we are months later, with Watson still in a Texans uniform but not playing despite his status as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The guy who will start in his place this season is Tyrod Taylor, a grizzled veteran in the NFL.
The 32-year-old quarterback signed a one-year contract with Houston in March after spending the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Taylor started for the Chargers in their season opener last year but was sidelined the following week after a team doctor punctured his lung while giving him a pain-killing injection just before kick-off.
Taylor rose to prominence during his stint with Buffalo, with the majority of his 47 NFL career starts coming with the Bills. The 10-year veteran has appeared in 72 games overall, passing for 9,770 yards with 54 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and rushing for 1,850 yards and 16 scores.
Taylor's backup this season will be rookie Davis Mills, who the Texans selected in the third round of this year's draft.
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