NFL: 5 starting QBs on the hot seat
By Phil Watson
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Houston Texans
Ryan Fitzpatrick has become the NFL’s version of “Survivor Man.” The former seventh-round pick out of Harvard took over for an injured Carson Palmer for a season in Cincinnati, replaced Trent Edwards as the starter in Buffalo and last year started for more than half the season in place of an injured Jake Locker (which is in serious contention to become his unofficial first name “Injured Jake Locker”) in Tennessee.
Fitzpatrick has never been in the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. Hell, Fitzpatrick has never been in the middle echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. Yet he’s managed to start 77 games in a nine-year career that began with the St. Louis Rams in 2005.
Last year, Fitzpatrick completed 62 percent of this throws for the Titans for 2,454 yards and 14 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions, a passer rating of 82.0 and a Total QBR of 55.4 (16th of 39 qualifiers).
He signed with Houston in March, shortly before the Texans traded former Pro Bowler Matt Schaub to the Raiders.
But Fitzpatrick, who will be 32 in November, can’t be seen as anything more than a stopgap at this point, a guy keeping a seat warm for someone else.
Case Keenum started eight games for the Texans last year and is a local hero, having put up video-game like numbers while quarterbacking at the University of Houston. In Texas, that matters. Houston also has rookie Tom Savage, who might be disappointed to learn there is no transferring allowed in the NFL.
The Texans actually have what looks to be a manageable opening month—the Redskins, at Oakland, at the Giants and home for the Bills. But if Houston comes out of that 1-3 or (gulp!) 0-4, new coach Bill O’Brien might decide to go younger before the Texans go to Dallas in Week 5.