The last day of minicamp was cancelled, JJ Watt took his teammates to a private screening of the new Terminator flick and Bill O'Brien could now go six weeks without getting asked by the media about his starting quarterback.
The question is still in play and you're confused. You don't want to be at a summer cookout, spilling barbeque sauce on your shirt while anxiously debating who should be under center for your favorite football team.
When O'Brien said that both candidates could start, he meant it. Maybe it's that close. Sometimes there's no outright 'wrong' decision.
Is Chocolate Chip Mint a better ice cream flavor than Cookies and Cream? Don't get me started.
"But it can't be that way," you say. "If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one" the saying goes. "And we didn't draft __(insert name of whoever you wanted that the Texans didn't draft here)!"
Since we're on the subject. Repeat after me: "You don't need a first round draft choice at quarterback to get to a Super Bowl."
In the last 21 Super Bowls, only three featured matchups between first round quarterbacks. Three!
And before you go complaining that 6th round pick Tom Brady skews the numbers, think again. Brady beat two quarterbacks who weren't even drafted (Jake Delhomme, Kurt Warner), a third round draft choice (Russell Wilson) and one first rounder (Donovan McNabb). Not to take anything away from winning the big one, but you get my point.
I digress.
Come in from the ledge. After all, the Texans went 9-7 with four quarterbacks last year. And, last I checked, none of them went to the Pro Bowl.
Whatever the coaches decide, you never know when your field general might get hurt and you need to pluck from the depth chart. We've seen that around here before a few times (2003, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014. Wow).
Anyone who's observed practice can tell you that the offense looks way ahead of where it was at this point last year, no matter who is taking snaps. The experience that Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and Tom Savage all have in the system certainly helps. But the starter mystery continues.
Maybe that's a good thing. Competition brings out the best in people. This is not a political election. The better player will win the job. But the runner up should be ready and should be good enough to also rack up wins for this franchise.
The Houston Texans roster in photos. (Updated 4/16/2021)
TE, Jordan Akins, #88
TE, Antony Auclair
DL, Auzoyah Alufohai, #98
DB, Cornell Armstrong, #30
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
OL, Justin Britt
DB, Terrence Brooks
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
OL, Cohl Cabral, #72
OL, Marcus Cannon
WR, Randall Cobb, #18
DL, Maliek Collins
WR, Chris Conley
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Isaiah Coulter, #82
WR, Keke Coutee, #16
DB, Keion Crossen, #35
LB, Zach Cunningham, #41
LB, Tae Davis
DL, Brandon Dunn, #92
LB, Duke Ejiofor, #53
WR, Alex Erickson
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
QB, Ryan Finley
OL, Hjalte Froholdt, #77
LB, Jonathan Greenard, #52
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill
LB, Nate Hall, #48
DB, Vernon Hargreaves III, #26
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
RB, Dontrell Hilliard, #27
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
RB, Buddy Howell, #38
RB, Mark Ingram
TE, Ryan Izzo
LB, Jordan Jenkins
RB, David Johnson, #31
DL, Jaleel Johnson
DB, Lonnie Johnson Jr., #32
P, Cameron Johnston
DB, Desmond King
LB, Christian Kirksey
DL, Shaq Lawson
RB, Phillip Lindsay
LB, Jacob Martin, #54
OL, Justin McCray
LB, Whitney Mercilus, #59
DB, Terrance Mitchell
WR, Donte Moncrief
DB, A.J. Moore Jr., #33
WR, Chris Moore
DB, Eric Murray, #23
LB, Hardy Nickerson
DL, Charles Omenihu, #94
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis
RB, Scottie Phillips, #40
TE, Paul Quessenberry
DB, John Reid, #34
DB, Justin Reid, #20
DL, Derek Rivers
WR, Andre Roberts
DB, Bradley Roby, #21
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Tremon Smith
OL, Jordan Steckler
OL, Lane Taylor
QB, Tyrod Taylor
DL, Vincent Taylor
LB, Joe Thomas
DB, Tavierre Thomas
OL, Cole Toner
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
DL, MeMarcus Walker
TE, Kahale Warring, #81
QB, Deshaun Watson, #4
LS, Jon Weeks #46
