Report: Houston Texans trade T.J. Yates to Atlanta Falcons

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, the Houston Texans have traded backup quarterback T.J. Yates to the Atlanta Falcons.

The move comes as a surprise as many were under the impression that the Texans had released Yates based on reports from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but following the trade announcement, Rapoport broke down how the Texans were able to trade Yates to the Falcones.

A fifth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Yates was tasked with manning the starting quarterback position when Matt Schaub went down with a foot injury that sidelined him for the 2011 season. Yates would lead the Texans to the first playoff victory in franchise history with a 31-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Being sent to Atlanta, Yates will step in as quarterback insurance for Matt Ryan. Prior to Yates’ arrival, Sean Renfree and Dominique Davis were amidst a battle to see who’d be gifted the position of official backup, but with Yates in town, those one–or both–will likely be released to free up space and address the linebacker core.

In return, the Houston Texas will be receiving Akeem Dent. In three years with the Atlanta Falcons, Dent accumulated 81 tackles (55 assisted) and 1.5 sacks. In those three years, Dent’s play had been up and down, especially with the linebacking core declining over the last few years.

Following Florio’s report of the trade, T.J. Yates took to Twitter to confirm the transaction.