
Things are getting more interesting for the Houston Texans.
The Texans on Tuesday agreed to a 1-year deal with quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Though a report said the deal could be worth up to $12.5 million, the truth is Taylor is getting less of half that amount in a base salary.
The #Texans are signing QB Tyrod Taylor to an incentive-laden contract, similar to what Cam Newton and Jameis Winston agreed to in recent days, per source. It can be worth up to $12.5 million, but the base value is less than half that. Solid backup money, and more if he plays.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 16, 2021
At $12.5 million, some could assume that Taylor was going to start for Houston. But if the guaranteed money is for less than half that amount, that is definitively backup money.
This means that Houston has a backup plan in case Deshaun Watson sits out the season or is traded. It also gives the Texans a bridge quarterback in case they draft a prospect.
No matter how you look at things, the Texans are still in bad shape as a franchise. It’s hard to believe a team that won its division four times in five years and had its quarterback of the future in place could have self-destructed so quickly, but here we are.
Houston made a big mistake by giving Bill O’Brien GM duties in addition to his head coach responsibilities. Then they compounded the error by putting character coach Jack Easterby in charge of football operations. Now they’re trying to dig themselves out of the hole, and the signing of Taylor signals nothing more than this is a rebuilding year in Houston.