Houston Texans re-sign QB Ryan Mallett

By Cory Buck | Mar 9, 2015

Nov 23, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) throws in the pocket against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

The Houston Texans have reportedly re-signed quarterback Ryan Mallett to a two-year deal.

The Houston Texans appear to have their quarterback depth chart set, provided there are no last-minute hiccups. The team has reportedly agreed to terms with Ryan Mallett, who the team acquired last year via trade. Mallett will join newcomer Brian Hoyer to provide competition for the starting quarterback job in the Texans’ training camp in July.

QB Ryan Mallett and Texans reached agreement on a two-year deal, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2015

The Texans are hoping that giving Mallett a year in the system and a little competition will bring out what fans have not seen to date.

More from Houston Texans

Mallett struggled in three appearances last season, completing just 55 percent of his passes for 400 yards with two TDs and two INTs. He was mostly relegated to backup duty behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, who excelled at times in the Texans offense.

Now the team has moved on from Fitzpatrick in favor of creating a more balanced quarterback competition centered around two big arms. This may be the best chance of Ryan Mallett’s career to prove the New England Patriots right when they drafted him in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft.

Brian Hoyer raced out to fast start in the 2014 season, but slowly fell apart and threw gobs of interceptions toward the end of the season. He fell out of favor with the Cleveland Browns, which opened the door for talks with Houston. If he does end up signing with Houston once free agency officially opens on Tuesday, as has been reported, he’ll likely be a slight favorite for the QB1 spot over Mallett.

But Ryan Mallett remains a relative unknown in the NFL and there’s no telling what he can accomplish with a full offseason, minicamp and training camp learning the Texans offense and its overriding philosophy. While neither quarterback is a slam dunk starter or considered a top tier option, this appears to be an improved position for the Texans, who have plenty of talent to seek a playoff spot in the wide open AFC.

Houston already sports a tough defense and a strong running game. Now they have their quarterbacks. The team just needs to get some detail work on the rest of the roster and they should be ready to provide serious competition to the rest of the league in the hopes of improving on their 9-7 campaign in the 2014 season.

More from FanSided

Home/Houston Texans