The Houston Texans will be without Case Keenum for the rest of the season, as the journeymen quarterback has gone onto injured reserve for the rest of the season. He was a 'cut-candidate' anyway, likely to be released by the team to make the 53-man roster limitation, but instead, he was placed on IR. Now, the Texans have signed Kedon Slovis to the practice squad to act as the third quarterback on the team.
Thankfully, the Texans are pretty deep at quarterback, with two top-30 players at the position C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills. Stroud is anywhere from a top-10 to a top-five quarterback depending on who you ask. While Mills is certainly someone who could start for maybe a third of the NFL teams right now.
So the Texans are good on talent at the position but having a third quarterback isn't a bad idea, especially when injuries can happen at any time. Slovis will attempt to be a reliable backup for the Texans as he works with the practice squad to get the main roster ready for Sunday, while also learning the Texans plays to, maybe, take on a role as a backup in the NFL.
But who is he?
Slovis was a three-star recruit coming out of Arizona. He would end up at the University of Southern California (USC), where he played for three seasons, his best of which was as a freshman. He played 12 games, threw 30 touchdowns, and won seven games. Many expected big things from him, and he delivered in 2020. He went 5-1 in six games with USC, throwing for 17 touchdowns. Things fell apart in 2021, when he went 4-5, and only had 11 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
Stints with the PITT and BYU wouldn't bear much fruit for the once-promising prospect, and he'd in turn go undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Indianapolis Colts picked him up first but after being waived by the team, the Texans left to sign him to their practice squad.
Despite his up-and-down college career, he isn't without upside. He has a big arm and can nail receivers downfield. He's shown to be a gunslinger at times and isn't afraid to take shots. He's not just a big arm, as he's incredibly athletic. He runs a 4.55 40-time, fast enough to be a wide receiver in the NFL. He's nimble too, having scored very well across his combine outing.
So much so the UFL wanted him to come in, with the DC Defenders taking his draft rights in the second round of their draft. There would've been stiff competition in camp for the Defenders with Slovis having a good shot to start for the squad when they come back for their next campaign in 2025.
Slovis may still end up with the Defenders, we'll have to see how things in Houston go. He's a quagmire of a player, but he has raw talent and incredible athleticism that could be channeled into a viable NFL player just yet.