Based on comments made by Bill O’Brien, the Houston Texans are 100-percent sold on and absolutely thrilled with their current quarterback situation.
O’Brien wouldn’t even discuss Tony Romo Monday morning at the Annual League Meeting in Arizona. Instead, he talked up his current two quarterbacks, Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden.
“Well first of all, Tony is under contract so he’s a Dallas Cowboy,” O’Brien said, per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “We feel like, right now, we have two quarterbacks that’ll be there on April 17, the beginning of our offseason program. It’ll be Tom Savage and Brandon Weeden. We are really looking forward to working with those guys. Both those guys can throw the football. Tom is a guy who played two or three games for us last year, played well, did some good things for our football team. Still a young player, so we’re real excited to work with him. We’re excited to be working with Brandon. Two years ago, he helped us win a couple games as our starting quarterback, so that’s where it is right now.”
Romo has been linked to Houston on a number of occasions. Most recently, it was reported that he has narrowed his options down to landing with the Texans or retiring (more on that here).
We all know NFL coaches tend to fib on occasion when it suits them. And in his own way O’Brien hinted that things could potentially change, even while continuing to say he’s “excited” about Savage and Weeden.
“Now, every day in this league is a fluid situation. Every day, whether it’s the draft or free agency or someone gets released or whatever that is. But today, as we sit here right now, we’re excited and we will be excited about who we have in that room, and of course, over the next few weeks, maybe we add to that room, maybe we don’t…”
With all due respect to Savage and Weeden, the Texans are going to be doomed to mediocrity or maybe a step above it if these guys are the best options at quarterback in 2017.
Houston features a championship-caliber defense that can take this team a long way, but in the playoffs it’s all about the quarterback. And as it’s been since the franchise entered the league back in 2002, the Texans don’t have one capable of winning playoff games.
Obviously Romo is no sure bet, either. Given his health history the past few years, he’s just as likely to get injured during the season as he is to help Houston go deep into the playoffs. That said, this is a franchise that desperately needs to do something to improve its lot on offense, because right now Houston is stuck in the mud.