Tyrod Taylor is seen as the best backup to have behind a proven starter, or a good mentor to have in front of a developing signal caller.
What if the former 2015 Pro Bowler can still play?
Taylor is 31 years old and only three seasons removed from leading the Buffalo Bills to their first playoff appearance since 1999. The former Baltimore Ravens 2011 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech went 8-6 as the starter with an 89.2 passer rating. Taylor played well enough to allow the running game to be effective and the defense to generate takeaways and keep points off the board.
According to Adam Rank of NFL.com, who released his evaluation of the 2021 Texans, Taylor may be an overlooked part of the team.
Tyrod has always been one of the most disrespected quarterbacks. He went 22-20 in his 42 starts for the Bills from 2015 through 2017 (David Culley was Buffalo’s quarterbacks coach in 2017). He won at least seven games in each season, and he was a Pro Bowl replacement in 2015, which I know might not mean much to you, but still. This should mean something to you: Tyrod is one of just five players with 9,000-plus passing yards and 1,500-plus rushing yards since 2015, joining Russell Wilson, Josh Allen, Cam Newton and Watson, per NFL Research. That’s not a bad list to be on. So maybe we just cut Tyrod some slack this season and give him a chance.
What new coach David Culley, who was with Taylor in Buffalo in 2017, appreciates about him is his quality in the clutch.
“He’s been in some very close ball games,” Culley told reporters on June 3 in a Zoom call. “He’s been in ball games where he’s had to, as the quarterback, put the team in position to win ball games. He’s done those things.”
If Taylor is able to have a season similar to what he did either in 2015 or 2017 with the Bills, it could be a stable element Houston needs to lay a proper foundation for the future.