HOUSTON — When Tyrod Taylor stepped onto the practice field for the Houston Texans on Wednesday, a trainer asked, “you must have been excited to be back out there?”
Taylor answered yes with enthusiasm, stating that he felt like a kid running around out on the practice field for the first time since a Grade 2 hamstring strain sidelined the 32-year-old quarterback for six weeks.
But Taylor’s emotions on the field went beyond overcoming a severe injury. Taylor was essentially intrigued by the fact that when his team steps onto the field of Hard Rock Stadium for a Week 9 match against the 1-7 Miami Dolphins, he will do so as the starting quarterback for the Texans amid his return.
It’s an opportunity Taylor is most appreciative of, given his history of being replaceable by a rookie quarterback.
“I’m always thankful for the opportunity when I get a chance to lace up my cleats and compete, do what I love to do, what I’ve always done,” Taylor said during his media availability Thursday afternoon. “I was looking forward to coming back. Coach [David Culley] said early on that I would be the starter when healthy, and I’m thankful that he stood by that. I’m excited to lead the guys out this weekend, and excited to get back on the playing field and compete.”
When Taylor sustained his hamstring injury during a Week 2 loss to the Cleveland Browns, it was an ill-suited situation.
The injury took place at First Energy Stadium — the same location that began a bitter cycle of Taylor having his starting role rescinded by a rookie quarterback as a member of the Browns.
In 2018, Taylor started three games for the Browns before a concussion ensued in Baker Mayfield filling in as his successor. Two years later, Justin Herbert replaced Taylor as the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers after a doctor inadvertently punctured his lung while administering a painkiller injection. Taylor started one game for the Chargers prior to the botched injury.
But instead of growing anxious when Davis Mills filled in for a wounded Taylor during the second half of the Browns game, Taylor shifted his focus on becoming healthy while doing what he could to help the Texans stay afloat in his absence.
One of the responsibilities Taylor grasped during his six-week rehabilitation was to serve as a mentor to the rookie Mills. For Taylor, his latest injury was a hurdle that tested his faith at a time of adversity.
“I’m a man of faith — I truly believe thing happens for a reason whether you can understand it in that moment in time,” Taylor said. “That’s something that I hold near to my heart and I continue to stand on that.”
“I think that this time in these six weeks has obviously made me a better player, got a chance to watch other guys throughout the league but it’s also made me a better person mentally. It’s made me a better leader. As I said, things happen. You just got to roll with the punches sometimes.”
Coach David Culley remained adamant that upon his return, Taylor would still be the starting quarterback for the Texans because it gave Houston the best chance at winning. It’s a belief of Culley that was further proven in Taylor’s vacancy.
In the six quarters played, Taylor had the Texans on the verge of possessing a 2-0 record, as Houston held a 14-7 lead over the Browns at the time of his injury. The Texans have since dropped seven straight games after Mills took the helms as the team’s starting quarterback.
When Taylor was under center, the Texans averaged 25.5 points per game and 208.0 yards in passing. With Mills, Houston averaged 9.7 points while accumulating 176.1 yards in passing.
“When you are a competitor and you’re not able to do the things you want to do or you’re not feeling healthy enough to do the things you want to do — it’s definitely tough to watch,” he said. “You have to use that time wisely. Obviously get back to yourself but be stronger when you come back. You can prevent those things from happening, but you can be a better player when you come back.”
With the team sitting at 1-7 on the season, Taylor is looking forward to the challenges of helping the Texans turn their abhorrent season around for the better. It’s a challenge Taylor is committed to beginning with their on-field production Sunday against the Dolphins.
“Obviously, our record is what it is, and we can only focus on what’s ahead of us,” Taylor said. “We’ve just got to be better moving forward, and we’re definitely dedicated toward that, committed to doing the things that we need to do day in and day out, and looking forward to Sundays.”