Even though Deshaun Watson is under contract through the 2025 season, the Houston Texans are facing uncertainty at quarterback.
As the club enters the new league year, set to commence in March with the start of free agency, the only two quarterbacks under contract are Watson and Josh McCown, who turns 42 years old on July 4.
The way things stand there could be a scenario where McCown starts games for the Texans.
If the Texans trade Watson, it is presumable the Texans would use one of their draft picks to take a younger quarterback to either groom or throw into the fire. The Texans would also sign another quarterback or keep one around on the practice squad to provide depth at the position. In this type of scenario, McCown may see action if there are a rash of injuries at the position.
If Houston refuses to trade Watson, and the three-time Pro Bowler is adamant about a holdout, the Texans will have gone through the draft process with just their No. 67 overall pick in Round 3 as their starting selection. If the Texans are trying to rebuild, they can’t use their most premium pick on a quarterback, which means they will have gone through the offseason without addressing the position — save for a free agency backup acquisition. In this scenario, McCown would see time as a viable option as the Texans would have nothing but backups, trying to ride the hot hand.
The former Sam Houston State product already made inroads with the front office prior to his joining Houston midway through last season.
“Yeah, I knew Jack [Easterby] from some different things previous,” McCown told reporters on Nov. 13, 2020. “Obviously different stops along the way and mutual friends and different kind of professional things we’ve been involved in. So, I did know Jack before. I just have a ton of respect for him, who he is and the kind of man he is and his ability to lead and love and serve people.
“It’s an attractive quality and I think he’s got a vision for how he wants an organization to go and that was the conversations that we had, was just coming and joining what he saw as the direction he wanted to take this thing. I’m just thankful to be a part of it.”
McCown has a future with the organization, whether as a player or a coach.
