5 forgotten "star" quarterbacks who played for the Houston Texans
By Chad Porto
3. Tony Banks
Had things been different, maybe the Houston Texans and by proxy David Carr would have had an easier start to think. The Houston Texans made Tony Banks one of the first players ever signed by the franchise, poaching the veteran quarterback from the now recognized Washinton Commanders. Banks joined the D.C.-based club after leaving the Baltimore Ravens, where he won a Super Bowl. He was with them for two seasons, where he had an 11-7 combined record. He wasn't consistent enough to take the job from Trent Dilfer, however.
That's why he didn't start the Super Bowl, as Dilfer was a more consistent player. Considering Dilfer's career and the Ravens' defense, it's fair to say the Ravens likely would have won regardless if they started Banks or Dilfer.
Before all that, Banks was a starter with the then-St. Louis Rams, so when he finally got to the Texans in 2002, he had been a starter for three different teams and was more than capable of taking the reigns in Texas. Still, he spent most of his four seasons in Houston sitting behind Carr, who did nothing but struggle.
He saw some action when Carr got hurt, going 2-1 for his career in Houston, but he was an inconsistent passer, with a 54% completion percentage. Far below Carr's career average of 59.7%.