The Houston Texans have had some pretty awful quarterbacks during their 20+ years in the NFL. Debates could be had for the worst-ever Texans quarterback but if someone said they thought it was Brock Osweiler, it's doubtful that many people would argue with that logic.
Osweiler started his NFL career with the Denver Broncos as a second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and spent the first four years as Peyton Manning's backup in Denver. While Osweiler got to learn from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, he rarely got to play and never got to start until his fourth year in the NFL when Manning missed time due to injury.
Osweiler stepped into the starting role for the first time as a pro and went 5-2 while throwing for just shy of 2,000 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six picks. While Manning eventually returned for the Broncos' eventual Super Bowl victory, Osweiler can say he helped play a role in getting the team to that point.
Unfortunately for the Texans, Osweiler's performance with the 2015 Broncos led to them overpaying for the former second-rounder in free agency the following spring. Houston rewarded Osweiler for his efforts the year before by signing him to a lofty four-year deal worth $72 million with $37 million of that being guaranteed. The contract did not age well.
Why Brock Osweiler is the worst QB in Houston Texans history
As noted, Osweiler did not live up to the contract he signed with the Texans. Houston did post a winning record during the 2016 season while also reaching the playoffs and winning a postseason game against the Raiders, Osweiler had little to do with that despite being the quarterback. The defense that year was great and helped the Texans get to their 9-7 record and AFC South title.
Osweiler played in 15 of 16 games that year (and made 14 of 16 starts) while throwing for 2,957 yards, 15 touchdowns, and a whopping 16 interceptions. In a midseason road game against the team that drafted him four years prior, Osweiler coughed up the football three times and a few weeks later against the Chargers, he threw three picks.
The writing was on the wall with Osweiler. He was not the franchise quarterback the Texans were hoping he'd be for them and despite the team making the playoffs and winning a game in the postseason, they had to get out of that contract.
Fortunately, the Browns were willing to work with them to do just that, agreeing on a trade that sent Osweiler to Cleveland along with the Texans' sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft and a second-round pick in the 2018 draft in exchange for a fourth-round pick from Houston. The Texans were so desperate to get rid of Osweiler and his contract that they sent him and two other draft picks to Cleveland, who absorded some of his contract in the progress.
Some teams might have continued to try to make it work with Osweiler but props to the Texans for not trying to force it. Osweiler never played a snap for Cleveland, getting released by the team before the 2017 season even started. He went back to Denver that year where he went 0-4 as a starter and then spent his last NFL season with the Dolphins in 2018 where he didn't look quite as bad as he did in Houston.
Arguments could be made for other quarterbacks as the worst in Texans history but considering the amount of money Osweiler made and the hoops the team went through to get him and his contract off the books, Brock Osweiler feels like the right answer here. He's not just the worst quarterback for Houston but perhaps the Texans' worst free agent signing ever.