It would be understandable for Keke Coutee not to be fully engaged or have a cantankerous demeanor heading into his third season.
The former 2018 fifth-round pick from Texas Tech has battled injuries through his first two seasons that limited his playing time to 15 games. Coutee has flashed potential, but it has never materialized consistently when on-field for the Houston Texans.
Last year was a time when Coutee may have fallen into coach Bill O’Brien’s doghouse. In Week 8’s 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders, Coutee, though active, did not see one play during the game. Then, Houston signs a veteran slot receiver in Randall Cobb in free agency.
Anyone would be sympathetic to Coutee being disgruntled with his piece of the action getting smaller in the Texans’ offense.
However, according to receivers coach John Perry, the 23-year-old from Lufkin, Texas, has brought a positive approach to his third training camp.
“Keke has come back with a great attitude and you can tell he’s ready to work,” Perry said. “You can tell, just like a lot of the guys in the group, he took an approach, obviously, in the offseason when he couldn’t be here to really take it upon himself. That’s going to be a huge step for him because when you take ownership of who you are and what you’re all about, that’s where your improvement comes from.”
Whereas Coutee before may have been a part of the Texans’ passing game, he is now battling with DeAndre Carter, Steven Mitchell, Chad Hansen, Isaac Whitney and even rookies Isaiah Coulter and Tyler Simmons.
Perry doesn’t expect the competition to drag Coutee down.
Said Perry: “He’s got such an internal fire. I expect he’ll just keep getting better every day, just like I know he wants to.”
Coutee set an NFL record for catches in a first career game with 11 in the Texans’ Week 4 win over the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. The 37-34 overtime win cracked Houston’s goose egg in the win column and sparked a nine-game winning streak that was the foundation for their 11-5 finish and AFC South crown.
If Coutee can provide that type of output over a more consistent stretch of games, everyone will start to have a great attitude at NRG Stadium.
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