Ryan Mallett: Not mature enough to be the leader
By Randy Gurzi
Earlier this week the Houston Texans’ quarterback battle between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer came to an end as head coach Bill O’Brien chose Hoyer as the main guy going forward.
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Obviously the man losing out was not too happy about it. While I can understand the disappointment, Mallett apparently said he was angry about the decision and followed it up with some questionable words.
"“Obviously, I’m disappointed. I don’t agree with it,” he said. “I’m just going to wait till my turn gets called. I mean, at some point it’s going to happen this year. We played four quarterbacks last year.”"
Stating that he is going to get a shot this year comes off as if Mallett either expects his teammate, Brian Hoyer, to flop or get injured. Upset or not, I see no reason for saying such a thing. This felt like a harsh statement from a guy who isn’t mature enough to be the leader of an NFL team.
If Mallett wants to be the guy, he needs to earn it. His mindset needs to be that he will go to practice every day and show he is the best player and the team made a mistake, instead he went the opposite way since losing the competition.
In a move that may have cemented the case he may not be mature enough to be the face of the franchise, he then missed the following day’s practice for what was originally called a “personal issue” by O’Brien. Later the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain reported that Mallett had actually overslept, causing him to miss the practice.
For someone like myself who wanted to see Mallett under center for the Texans, these last few days have been eye opening and may highlight exactly why Mallett was traded for next to nothing from the Patriots. It would also explain why O’Brien decided the less talented quarterback was better to go into a game with.
The NFL is all about trust. Mallett is proving that he cannot be trusted by missing practice and reacting to a coach’s decision with anger. Team leaders and successful quarterbacks don’t call for teammates to fail or get injured. Great quarterbacks don’t miss practice, but instead are the first ones in and the last to leave.
Mallett teased us all with reports of his hard work over the offseason. The script seemed to flip and there was a hope that the super talented Mallett was finally putting in the work needed to become a legitimate starter.
Instead he seems to have the same aloof approach and expects things to just happen the way he wants instead of going out and making it happen. Maybe I am alone in my harsh criticism of Mallett following this week’s developments. Let me know where you stand in the discussion forum and poll located below.
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