There have been a few notable quarterbacks in the franchise’s history. The priority of most NFL expansion teams in the draft was to find a befitting quarterback. This was exactly what the Houston Texans did after winning the draft lottery for the first time in the 2002 season.
Here is a list of our 5 Best picks of Houston Texans Quarterbacks of All Time.
1. Deshaun Watson
Watson, without a question, is the finest quarterback in team history at the position of quarterback. In his four seasons with the team, he was selected to three Pro Bowls and threw for 4,823 yards in his last season to lead the league in passing. The Texans started the season with Watson as their backup, but when Tom Savage failed mightily in the opening, they decided to go with Watson. Watson’s first career playoff victory came after a great season in 2019. In the third quarter, the Texans were down the Bills, 16–0, but Watson scored a touchdown on the ground and threw another to help Houston take the lead.
2. Matt Schaub
However, in his first six seasons with the Texans, Schaub was excellent, earning the Pro Bowl twice and guiding them to the playoffs twice. He had a horrible last season with the Texans. In spite of his role in the Texans’ greatest start in franchise history, they still managed to make the playoffs without him that year. The next year, he returned to the field and led the club to a 12–4 record and a postseason berth. Against the Jaguars, he threw for 527 yards, which was the second-best single-game total in NFL history.
3. Ryan Fitzpatrick
A 3–1 start to the season was a surprise for Fitzpatrick and the Texans, who had only won two games in 2013. It was just a matter of time until Fitzpatrick was replaced by Mallett after the team’s next five games were lost. In spite of Bill O’Brien benching him in favor of Ryan Mallett, Fitzpatrick had a productive year with the Texans before being sidelined for the rest of the season with a broken tibia.
4. David Carr
Carr’s offensive line allowed him to sack an NFL record 76 times as a rookie, putting him in a no-win scenario as an expansion franchise quarterback. Everyone who needed a quarterback in 2002 was probably envious of the Texans when they became an expansion team. First in the NFL draft that year, Houston chose Fresno State University quarterback David Carr, who was widely regarded as the best prospect.
5. Sage Rosenfels
After Matt Schaub went down with ankle and hip injuries in a game against the Titans on Oct. 21, 2007, Rosenfels entered the picture. Rosenfels entered the fourth quarter behind 32–7 but threw four touchdown passes to equal an NFL record for quarter-long touchdown passes. This was Rosenfels’ first year starting, and he was successful in three of the final four games he faced.