Houston Texans: 3 free agent QBs to bring in for competition in 2022

Who should compete to be the Houston Texans’ starting QB in 2022?

There has to be a better option with only four more games left on the schedule, with Davis Mills set to play out the rest of the season. Tyrod Taylor has been hurt over and over, and things got so bleak at the position they turned their third-string QB, Jeff Driskel, into a tight end. Somebody, please help this revolving door stop.

It doesn’t help that Houston’s offensive line has been one of the worst in the league, especially after Laremy Tunsil underwent hand surgery and has been out ever since. Also, the brilliant idea to carry five running backs at the beginning of the season has now seen two of them depart (Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram). That whole run-first mentality was probably the precursor of this 2-11 campaign.

All of this is brought up because these are huge factors in why the passers for the Houston Texans have struggled mightily this season. It’s often said that good quarterbacks can hide many issues, but can any of these three free-agent gunslingers (using that term loosely) overcome an uphill battle?

With Davis Mills’ success in 2021 reportedly being the barometer and compass of where Houston will go in the first round, it doesn’t hurt to bring in capable veterans that have shown flashes of brilliance. These quarterbacks are ranked in no particular order,  and the first up is a former second-overall pick.

Houston Texans first invitation should go to Marcus Mariota

It’s been a wild ride for the former second-overall pick Marcus Mariota. After being taken by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft, Mariota enjoyed a few seasons of what would be a prelude to a Taysom Hill-like role with the Titans as their starting quarterback. However, since he joined the Las Vegas Raiders, he’s been one of the more prized backup quarterbacks.

That’s from the one game he played in 2020 in relief of Derek Carr, who was injured. In that game Mariota played, he went 17/28 for 226 yards with one passing touchdown and one interception.  Mariota also added nine carries on the ground for 88 yards and a touchdown. While the Raiders lost that game to the LA Chargers 30-27, it put the spotlight back on Mariota.

Mariota can still play, and he is only 28 years old as of this writing. This could be Houston’s top target, as a mobile quarterback who’s not at or past the proverbial “30 and over cliff” are rare and hard to find.

This could be Mariota’s job to lose. That is, of course, if he hits free agency. Mariota stayed with the Raiders for this season because they had a “stable head coach,” among other reasons. Unfortunately, that statement doesn’t look good now with the Jon Gruden fiasco.

Mariota could change this Texans’ offense by taking plays out of the pocket and making throws on the run to help the offensive line.

A wiser Mitch Trubisky could compete for the Houston Texans top QB spot

Before the knee-jerk reaction happens, Mitch Trubisky is not the same guy who wasn’t given a lot of help in Chicago. Having lived in Chicago during the Trubisky era, it always seemed like Matt Nagy was the reason he failed. While I still stand firm on the fact that Trubisky doesn’t bring comfort when placed in a high-pressure situation, who knows the amount of progress he has made during his time in the land of table smashing.

Getting to sit and watch behind Josh Allen, who was considered a “project” quarterback himself when drafted in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft, is enough to fill a notebook with lessons learned. Add in the fact that Brian Daboll as their offensive coordinator in Buffalo, then you have a tremendous learning opportunity.

While his only action this year was 5/7 for 28 yards and one interception, it makes sense that Trubisky hasn’t played significantly since Week 4. Buffalo was once the top dog in the AFC, but that has changed. Buffalo is 3-5 in their last eight games.

It will be another project, but bringing Trubisky to compete for the job can’t hurt.

Trace McSorley rounds out the list for the Houston Texans QB1 competition

If you thought that Trubisky would be a project, then Trace McSorley may have him beat. After a scintillating college career for the Nittany Lions, he was drafted in the 6th round by the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, McSorley has only seen actual game action once in his short, three-year career.

Currently a member of the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, McSorley’s lone appearance was coming in due to an injury to former Ravens QB Robert Griffin III. That was that Wednesday afternoon game last year- one of the biggest all-time anomalies of NFL scheduling. McSorley went 3/10 for 90 yards and this long touchdown strike to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown:

At the age of 26, this can be an investment piece for the Houston Texans. Have him be the backup for a season or two and see what he can do once he’s matured and gotten his technique refined. If his legs are still as good as his final season was with Penn State (rushing for almost 800 yards), then the playbook will open up for this Texans offense that badly needs any positive momentum on offense.