Houston Texans: Top 5 passers in franchise history

After five straight losing seasons to begin their NFL tenure, the Houston Texans looked to make a change in the 2007 offseason.

Putting together a package of draft picks that included the No. 8 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft as well as second-rounders in 2007 and 2008, the Texans landed Atlanta Falcons backup Matt Schaub and the No. 10 overall pick in 2007.

The Texans signed Schaub to a six-year extension the day after he was acquired and released incumbent starter David Carr the following day.

It was Matt Schaub’s team and would be for most of the next seven seasons.

Schaub had shown promise backing up often-banged-up Michael Vick in Atlanta and was solid in his first two seasons in Houston, despite missing 10 games with a variety of injuries. The Texans posted their first two non-losing seasons in 2007 and 2008, going 8-8 each year.

In 2009, Schaub stayed healthy and had a breakout campaign. Teaming with Andre Johnson, Schaub led the NFL with 4,770 yards — still a franchise single-season record — as well as topping the league with 396 completions and 583 attempts.

Houston Texans

Throw in 29 touchdown passes with 15 interceptions and that effort helped Houston to a 9-7 record and earned Schaub his first Pro Bowl berth, and the first by a Texan quarterback.

The Texans slid back to 6-10 in 2010 despite Schaub’s 4,370 yards and 24 touchdowns with 12 interceptions, but better days were ahead.

Unfortunately for Schaub, he missed some of those better days. After piloting the Texans to a 7-3 start in 2011, Schaub was lost for the season in a 37-9 win at Tampa Bay in Week 10, sustaining a Lisfranc injury on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter.

Backup Matt Leinart went down the following week and third-stringer T.J. Yates wound up taking Houston to its first-ever playoff appearance.

Healthy again in 2012, Schaub helped the Texans to a franchise-record 12-4 mark, throwing for 4,008 yards and 22 touchdowns with 12 interceptions while earning a second Pro Bowl nod. He helped Houston to a 19-13 win over Cincinnati in the Wild Card Playoffs, going 29-for-38 for 262 yards with an interception.

The Texans lost at New England the following week in the Divisional Playoff, with Schaub throwing for 343 yards and two scores with an interception.

The wheels came off in 2013, though. Schaub was benched at midseason as Houston got off to a 2-6 start. He threw 14 interceptions with just 10 touchdowns and was traded to the Raiders the following offseason.

In seven seasons, Schaub made 88 starts and threw for 23,221 yards with 124 touchdowns and 78 picks, completing 64.6 percent of his throws.

Taken in the third round, 90th overall, by the Falcons from Virginia in 2004, Schaub started just two games for Atlanta in his three seasons there, while taking over for Vick seven times.

Next: Best-ever free-agency signings by Texans

Schaub spent one season in Oakland and was a backup in Baltimore in 2015 before returning to the Falcons as a free agent in 2016. Schaub didn’t play a down in 2017, but remains under contract with Atlanta through the 2018 season.