Texans expected to hire Pep Hamilton as quarterbacks coach

The Houston Texans are planning to hire Pep Hamilton as their quarterbacks coach.

With former Baltimore Ravens passing game coordinator/assistant head coach David Culley being named the next head coach of the Houston Texans, he is looking to bring former Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton onto his staff. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports both sides are close to a deal. Josh McCown may still be a part of this new staff, too.

Hamilton spent the 2020 NFL season grooming rookie quarterback Justin Herbert in his first season out of Oregon. While Anthony Lynn and his staff got fired, Herbert was easily the best rookie quarterback of his draft class. Hamilton was obviously a big part of his development. He has also most notably worked with Andrew Luck with the Stanford Cardinal and the Indianapolis Colts.

Will a Pep Hamilton hire help keep Deshaun Watson with the Texans?

While Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson formally requested a trade on Thursday, there is a belief that Houston hiring a great offensive mind like Hamilton to be his position coach could entice him to stay. Houston hired the only black head coach this offseason cycle in Culley. He too was a Division I quarterback at Vanderbilt, but Culley is already 65-years-old entering 2021.

2020 did not go at all according to plan in Houston. Former head coach Bill O’Brien traded away star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. Houston went a disastrous 4-12. While they would have had the No. 3 overall pick, they traded it to the Miami Dolphins for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. All the while, Watson grew increasingly frustrated with ownership.

It may be a last-ditch effort, but potentially hiring Hamilton could give Watson a reason to stay.