Houston Texans coach David Culley outlined how the team would handle their starting quarterback situation with Tyrod Taylor coming back from a strained hamstring.
The team will bring Taylor off of injured reserve, allowing him to practice during the club’s Week 8 preparation for the Los Angeles Rams.
“We’ll designate him as a return,” Culley said. “As far as the game, that’s still up in the air right now.”
With Taylor able to practice, it does raise the question of how the reps will be split up between rookie Davis Mills, who has started the entire five games Taylor has been out, and the former Pro Bowler.
“Davis will get the reps today,” said Culley. “Tyrod, we’re just easing him back into practice just to see where he’s at. Tyrod is a veteran. He’s been around here. He doesn’t have to have all the reps. Davis needs the reps, and Davis is going to be playing this week as our starting quarterback, and right now, he is.”
Culley left open the possibility that Taylor could start even with minimal reps taken in practice throughout the week.
Said Culley: “As we move into the week, if we feel good about where Tyrod is at, then we’ll give him some of the reps. But him being a veteran quarterback, that’s not an issue.”
The Texans are 1-6 and on a six-game losing streak that began when Taylor strained his hamstring in the first half of Houston’s 31-21 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Mills has started all subsequent games since then, and the Texans have only scored eight points in their past three road games.
When Taylor was under center in Week 1, the Texans torched the Jacksonville Jaguars 37-21 and the run game almost had a running back go over the 100-yard mark as Mark Ingram rushed 25 times for 86 yards.
