Texans: Is Kevin Hogan more important than we know?

Is there more to the Kevin Hogan and the Texans than meets the eye?

When the Houston Texans signed Kevin Hogan, there was a tremendous yawn that went across the fan base, but is there more to this than most can’t see?

Hogan has had a nondescript nine-game career with less than stellar stats. So on the surface, this appears to be a player who will either end up on the practice squad or, at best, third string and not dressing for the game-day roster most weeks. Well, you may want to dig a little deeper to see what might be going on in the background.

Familiarity and knowledge of a system really matters. Let’s look at Hogan’s background. Hogan played at Stanford under head coach David Shaw. So, there’s a connection with Davis Mills there, but more importantly, Pep Hamilton was an assistant and QB coach at Stanford in 2012 when Hogan was there. That is a bigger link.

In 2016, Hamilton was the associate head coach for the offense in Cleveland and, you guessed it, Hogan was there too. Hamilton and Hogan have crossed paths a few times in the past.

Texans: Hogan and Hamilton can help Davis Mills improve in year two

So what does this connection between Hamilton and Hogan mean for Mills? Really nothing, but then again, it could mean a lot.

Having a player with knowledge of a system can really help a young quarterback like Mills. Having a peer to go to, when the coach tells you something that you may not grasp, can go a long way in understanding an offensive system.

Hogan should have a good grasp of Hamilton’s system and coaching style. Mills now has a resource that has been under that system longer than he has. Hogan has been through the learning process of the system and can help Mills to get it quicker and help move the offense forward.

Will Hogan push Mills for playing time? No, that’s not likely at all. Could having Hogan on the sideline as the backup holding a clipboard and holding a strong knowledge of the system be valuable to Mills and Hamilton himself? Yes, without any question at all.

Hogan may have come in with zero fanfare, but his value on the sideline in 2022 could be much bigger than most will ever know.