The Houston Texans could very well add a quarterback at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft. This doesn’t mean new head coach DeMeco Ryans and Co. are not set to find a veteran stopgap once NFL free agency opens next week.
Houston has not been linked to some of the big names on the market. Well, until now. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, there’s a push within the Texans’ organization to sign Jimmy Garoppolo away from the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.
“Sources tell CBS Sports there’s a push within the building to sign quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and play him in 2023 while drafting a quarterback at some point in the first round with the plan to sit him for the year and grow.”
Report on Houston Texans’ interest in Garoppolo
This actually makes perfect sense. In addition to Ryans coming over from San Francisco, new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik coached Garoppolo from 2017-22. The two obviously have a built-in relationship. It must also be noted that Slowik is running the very same offense Garoppolo worked under in Northern California.
Related: 2023 Houston Texans mock draft
Houston Texans quarterback plans seem to be coming together
There was some hope heading into his sophomore season that 2021 third-round pick Davis Mills could end up being the franchise guy after Houston dealt away Deshaun Watson.
It did not come to fruition. Mills threw 17 touchdowns against 15 interceptions in 15 starts. He was also benched at times under then-head coach Lovie Smith. Fast forward several months, and it’s clear that Houston has other things in mind.
Jimmy Garoppolo could very well be the short-term option depending on how the market plays out for his services. A two-time Super Bowl champion as Tom Brady‘s backup with the New England Patriots, he posted a 38-17 record in parts of six seasons with the 49ers. This past season saw the 31-year-old Garoppolo account for 18 total touchdowns and four interceptions in 11 games before being sidelined to an injury in December.
Selecting No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Houston still has a real opportunity to land one of the top quarterbacks in the class. As of right now, that still seems to be Bryce Young from Alabama and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. Though, both Anthony Richardson (Florida) and Will Levis (Kentucky) showed out big time during the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
If the Houston Texans were to sign Jimmy Garoppolo, it could create a situation in which they trade down some in the draft to acquire more assets while still landing a first-round quarterback prospect. Remember, Houston also boasts the 13th overall pick from the Cleveland Browns stemming from the Deshaun Watson trade.