At the age of 36 heading free agency, former Houston Texans starting quarterback Matt Schaub is looking for one more opportunity to start in the NFL.
“Schaub told me last week he wants an opportunity to start in the NFL once again,” writes ESPN’s Vaughn McClure. “The chances of him doing so in Atlanta are slim to none, with reigning MVP Matt Ryan going nowhere for ‘many, many, many’ years, as general manager Thomas Dimitroff put it.”
A 13-year veteran who has logged 92 starts in his career, Schaub is best known for his mind-numbing propensity to throw the ball into the arms of the other team at the worst possible time. Throughout his career he’s thrown 14 pick-sixes, meaning the defense took an interception back for a touchdown. He also holds the NFL record for most consecutive games having thrown a pick-six (four) and additionally had another three-game pick-six streak.
With that in mind, it seems highly unlikely that Schaub — backup to Matt Ryan on the Atlanta Falcons last year — will become a starter in the NFL, despite his desire to make it happen.
Still, there might be a slight glimmer of hope for the veteran passer. It’s been rumored that Kyle Shanahan might be inclined to bring Schaub with him to the San Francisco 49ers, who have a deficit at the quarterback position. It’s possible Schaub could be used on a short-term basis to start while the 49ers look for and groom their quarterback of the future.
This, of course, will hinge on whether Colin Kaepernick is going to be a part of the 49ers’ future. He’s set to meet up with John Lynch and the new regime soon to discuss his future (more on that here).
But realistically, if Schaub does start for the 49ers or some other team, it likely means said team won’t have a legitimate chance of winning many games. Schaub is, at this point in his career, a serviceable backup, and nothing more.