HOUSTON – Tyrod Taylor was officially named the Houston Texans starting quarterback and will make his franchise debut Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Tyrod Taylor will start for us as a quarterback, for sure,” head coach David Culley said Monday.
The announcement came as no surprise, but Culley had refused to make it official until Monday morning.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson is also on the Texans ’53-man roster, but is expected to be a good risk on game days in Houston. Watson, who applied for a trade in January, faces 22 civil lawsuits for allegations of sexual assault and misconduct.
The quarterback is not expected to play in Houston in 2021 despite having no restrictions on participating in team activities or playing in NFL games.
Rookie Davis Mills, a third-round pick, will be Taylor’s backup. Houston also has quarterback Jeff Driskel, who spent the offseason with the jeans in his training roster.
Taylor, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Texans in March after spending two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Taylor began the season opener in Los Angeles in 2020, but was sidelined the following week when a Chargers team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while trying to give him an analgesic injection just before from the beginning.
The ten-year veteran has made 47 starts in his career. He has gone through 9,770 yards with 54 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and has rushed for 1,850 yards and 16 touchdowns in 72 games overall.