Houston Texans running back David Johnson didn’t know quarterback Tyrod Taylor before the AFC South club signed him in free agency. However, the former 2016 All-Pro will make it a point of emphasis to get to know his new teammate.
Johnson spoke with the Houston media over a Zoom conference on Monday and expressed interest in forging a connection with the former 2015 Pro Bowler.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things actually about him, that he’s a great leader,” Johnson said. “Very well-spoken, boisterous leader. He’s a good captain on the teams he’s been on. He’s been through a lot of adversity, as you can see last year a lot of adversity as well with what happened with him in the preseason and ended up hurting him during the season.”
Taylor was a former Baltimore Ravens 2011 sixth-round pick from Virginia Tech. In 2015, he got his chance to be a starter, and he led the Buffalo Bills to an 8-8 record with hope for the future. During his three seasons with the Bills, he led them to a wild-card playoff berth in 2017, a year where Texans coach David Culley was his quarterbacks coach.
“That’s a guy I’m really going to talk to a lot and get familiar with, become great teammates with and hopefully I can learn some stuff from him as well as being a professional athlete,” Johnson said.
Johnson, 29, rushed for 691 yards and six touchdowns on 147 carries last season with the Texans, his first with the team after a trade to start the 2020 free agency period. The former Arizona Cardinals third-round pick also caught 33 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns as Houston finished the season 4-12 and in third place in the division.
In addition to Taylor, who will be 32 on Aug. 3, the Texans also have quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Ryan Finley on the roster.
