In Taylor, team has $12.5M insurance policy
Veteran quarterback agrees to one-year deal while issues under center remain unresolved
The latest twist unfolded in the Texans’ unresolved quarterback position, a situation that became even more interesting with the arrival of new quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
The team finalized a one-year contract Tuesday with the former Los Angeles Chargers starter on a one-year deal with a maximum value of $12.5 million, if all incentive clauses are triggered, and carries a base value less than $6 million, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
“H Town!!!” Taylor wrote on social media hours after the agreement with the Texans was reached.
Taylor represents a sound insurance policy for the Texans in case they’re unable to resolve their differences with disgruntled Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has officially requested a trade.
“Tyrod has outstanding leadership qualities,” an NFL executive said. “He’s smart, competitive, tough, very experienced and extremely mobile. He takes great care of the football, and he can spin it. You can’t rattle him. He’s a very highcharacter individual.”
Although Watson reiterated his feelings about wanting to be traded in a recent conversation with coach David Culley and intends to never play another down in Houston, according to multiple league sources, the team remains steadfast in not wanting to trade him.
Should Watson remain away from the team and not report, which is what’s anticipated, then Taylor would likely operate as the starting quarterback and a potential bridge to the Texans’ longterm plan under center.
One week ago, Culley was asked how the team would proceed if Watson doesn’t report for training camp.
“As of right now, there is no contingency plan from the standpoint of he is a Houston Texan, and basically that’s how we’re moving forward with it,” Culley said. “We’re committed to him, as I said before.”
Now, the Texans have Taylor as a viable contingency plan.
Should the team ever change its stance about not granting Watson’s trade request and acquire the draft capital in a swap to draft a potential franchise quarterback, then Taylor could remain the starter while the team potentially develops a rookie quarterback behind him.
“You want a guy to be allin,” an NFL executive said. “If he’s not, I don’t think that Watson would show up and give it anything less than his best effort, but I don’t think he ever wants to come back. You don’t want a potential James Harden deal. It’s an interesting situation.”
A former Baltimore Ravens sixth-round draft pick from Virginia Tech, Taylor, 31, has the third-lowest interception rate since 2011 with interceptions thrown on just 1.4 percent of his throws with 20 interceptions during a decade in the NFL. Tay lor is a multidimensional quarterback who can beat defenses with his feet and his arm, rushing for 1,850 yards and 16 touchdowns and passing for 9,770 yards and 54 touchdowns.
“Tyrod can give you a spark off of the bench because of his athleticism and the way he sees the field,” another NFL executive said. “He can be inconsistent at times as a starter.”
Now, Taylor reunites with Culley, his quarterbacks coach in 2017 in Buffalo, and former Los Angeles quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, hired this offseason as the Texans’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. With Culley as his position coach in 2017, Taylor passed for 2,799 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions and rushed for 427 yards and four scores.
Taylor and Watson are the only quarterbacks under contract on the roster with A.J. McCarron, last year’s backup, an unrestricted free agent after playing last season under a oneyear, $4 million deal.
Taylor backed up Joe Flacco on the Ravens’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2012. Taylor made the Pro Bowl in 2015 with the Bills before being traded to Cleveland in 2018.
Taylor earned the starting job with the Browns and Chargers, but got hurt and was replaced by Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. Then, Taylor was replaced by Chargers rookie standout Justin Herbert last season due to a rib injury.
Taylor, named a team captain, completed 16 of 30 passes for 208 yards in a season-opening win over the Bengals last fall, but he was hospitalized after a Chargers team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while administered a pain-killing injection to treat the rib injury. Herbert was named the starter for the remainder of the season and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, passing for 4,336 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Taylor, who has an 89.5 career passer rating. passed for 3,035 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2015 with Buffalo as he rushed for 568 yards and four scores.
Now, Taylor, who didn’t file a grievance against the Chargers for the doctor’s mistake, is poised to potentially become a starting quarterback again.
Odds and ends
The Texans are adding a pair of free agents on defense: cornerback Terrance Mitchell and defensive end Derek Rivers. Mitchell, 28, has been in Cleveland the last three seasons and agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal. Rivers was most recently with teh Patriots and will sign a one-year, $1.3 million contract. … Safety A.J. Moore, a restricted free agent, was kept with a $2.133 million tender. … The Texans cut wide receivers J’Mon Moore and Damion Ratley, defensive tackle Andrew Brown and linebacker Curtis Bolton. … Former Texans fullback Cullen Gillaspia will sign with the New York Giants.on Tuesday. aaron.wilson@chron.com twitter.com/aaron_wilson