Houston Texans

The Houston Texans placed running back David Johnson on the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Johnson has run for 176 yards and caught 28 passes for 214 yards and one touchdown through 11 games.

His absence will force the Texans to lean on Rex Burkhead and Royce Freeman more to anchor the running game.

Johnson was dealt a bad hand from the moment he landed in Houston by virtue of moving to the team through the DeAndre Hopkins trade.

"I was in such a fishbowl," he said to The Athletic's Aaron Reiss. "Everything I did was going to be magnified because of the trade. Honestly, I felt like if I was traded for anyone else, it wouldn’t be as bad. I think just the magnitude of the trade is what made it so stressful."

Johnson totaled 1,005 yards from scrimmage and scored eight touchdowns in 2020 as the Texans finished 4-12.

At 2-10, Houston is already eliminated from playoff contention, and it has one of the NFL's worst offenses with Deshaun Watson continuing to be inactive because of his ongoing legal situation.

The Texans are averaging the fewest yards (254.5) and points (13.7) per game. A telling fact about the state of the running game is that Mark Ingram II remains the leading rusher (294 yards) despite not having suited up since Week 7.

Losing Johnson from the backfield exacerbates their issues on the ground. Burkhead is averaging 2.8 yards per carry, while Freeman has only been slightly better (3.6 yards per carry) between his spells with the Texans and Carolina Panthers in 2021.

The Houston Texans have an uncertain quarterback situation going forward, but that doesn't mean they will target the position early in the 2022 NFL draft.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Davis Mills will have a chance to prove himself as a long-term option over the final five games of the season. If he plays well, the Texans could look to draft defensive ends such as Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson or Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux early in the first round instead of a quarterback.

Deshaun Watson remains on the roster, but he has been the subject of trade talks since last offseason.

Mills, a third-round pick in 2021 out of Stanford, has been named the starter for the rest of the season for the 2-10 Texans over veteran Tyrod Taylor. The 23-year-old has seven touchdowns with eight interceptions and a 78.4 quarterback rating in eight appearances (six starts) this year.

Despite modest production to this point, the Texans think highly of Mills. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported in October the team liked him better than Tua Tagovailoa amid trade talks with the Miami Dolphins.

The upcoming draft is also seemingly not the best one to find a new franchise quarterback.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department didn't list a single quarterback prospect among the top 20 overall players in its latest big board. Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder was considered the top player at the position at No. 22 overall.

Thibodeaux and Hutchinson are considered top-five prospects and could each provide an immediate impact as elite pass-rushers. Though Houston's offense has gotten plenty of attention this year, the defense has struggled as well while ranking 30th in points allowed per game (26.9).

Pairing another young edge-rusher with Jonathan Greenard could give the team quality building blocks for the rebuild.   

After taking over for Tyrod Taylor in the third quarter of last week's game against the Indianapolis Colts, Davis Mills will remain the Houston Texans' starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

Head coach David Culley made the announcement Friday. 

Culley told reporters that Taylor "didn't like the decision."

"I wouldn't have liked it either, but this is a production business," he said. "We needed a spark. We needed a change."

Nothing about the Texans has been stable this season, including their quarterback play.

Taylor has shown flashes, especially at the start of the season. He led the Texans to a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. The 32-year-old went 21-of-33 for 291 yards and two touchdowns. 

Next week against the Cleveland Browns, Taylor started 10-of-11 for 125 yards and one touchdown. He also ran for a score before a hamstring injury kept him out for the second half. 

Since returning in Week 9, Taylor has completed just 56.6 percent of his attempts with two touchdowns and five interceptions in four games. 

Mills has had some solid performances that suggest he could be figuring things out. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in a 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5. 

Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, Mills threw for 310 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Some of those numbers came in garbage time because the Texans were losing 38-0 going into the fourth quarter before scoring 22 unanswered points. 

The Texans are 2-10, and their priority should be evaluating players who can contribute in 2022.

Mills was Houston's top pick in the 2021 draft (No. 67 overall). The 23-year-old is completing 65.5 percent of his passes with 1,406 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight appearances (six starts) this season. 

While players such as J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins have departed the Houston Texans organization over the last year, one NFL draft prospect has said he would love to play for the franchise despite the uncertainty surrounding the club. 

Michigan star defensive end Aiden Hutchinson, who could possibly be the top pick in the 2022 draft, said he'd be happy to join the Texans if they picked him during an appearance on The Wheelhouse with Jake Asman, Cody Stoots, & Brad Kellner on ESPN 97.5 (h/t ProFootballTalk).

“When I got off the airplane, it felt right,” said Hutchinson, who was in Houston for the Lombardi Award announcement. “I can’t lie to you: Just the air, the atmosphere, the vibes, Houston is a good place to be. If they draft me, I’d love to play for the Texans.”

The Lombardi Award is awarded to the best lineman in college football. Hutchinson won the award over Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum and Iowa State linebacker Mike Rose.

The 21-year-old had an incredible 2021 season, recording 13.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, 15 tackles for loss and 55 tackles. He was also named a Heisman Trophy finalist for his efforts this year and will get the opportunity to increase his draft stock even further when Michigan meets Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal Orange Bowl on Dec. 31. 

The Texans currently have the No. 3 selection in the 2022 draft. However, it's unclear what the franchise might be planning to do with that pick. Houston has several areas it needs to address over the offseason, including quarterback, the offensive line and the secondary. 

Regardless, though, Hutchinson appears to be the team's best option. This year's quarterback class isn't as great as it was in 2021, and Hutchinson has been viewed as one of the best pass rushers in college football over the past few seasons, so the Texans can't go wrong drafting him. 

However, if Hutchinson is off the board when the Texans are on the clock, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux or Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal could also be great options. 

In addition to the Texans, Hutchinson, who grew up in Plymouth, Michigan, says he would not be opposed to playing for the Detroit Lions. Though, he did mention he grew up a New England Patriots fan.

“You know, growing up, it was hard being a Lions fan. Lions have been struggling for a while. I actually grew up a Patriots fan with Tom Brady and stuff like that. So, I never really loved the Lions too much. But, hey, if they pick me, they’re getting it all.”

The Lions currently have the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft.  

Zach Cunningham's tenure with the Houston Texans has reportedly ended. 

Per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, the fifth-year linebacker will be placed on waivers on Wednesday. 

The move comes 15 months after the Texans signed Cunningham to a four-year, $58 million contract extension in August 2020. 

Per ESPN's Field Yates, any team that might claim Cunningham will only absorb a $275,000 cap hit after the Texans restructured his deal before the start of the season. 

Yates added Cunningham's deal has no more guaranteed money remaining after 2021, "making him even more likely to find a team via waivers."

If Cunningham makes it through waivers unclaimed, he will become an unrestricted free agent eligible to sign with any team immediately. 

McClain noted Cunningham was inactive for Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Indianapolis Colts when he "failed to appear for the players’ regular COVID-19 test."

Kevin Pierre-Louis, who made his first start of the season against the Colts, will likely move into Cunningham's spot as Houston's primary strong-side linebacker. 

It marked the second time this season that Cunningham has been subject to disciplinary action from the Texans. He was benched during the team's Week 2 loss against the Cleveland Browns for unspecified reasons. 

Cunningham's extension was signed when Bill O'Brien was still in his role as head coach and general manager in Houston. O'Brien was fired after an 0-4 start last season. 

First-year general manager Nick Caserio and head coach David Culley have taken on the task of trying to rebuild a depleted Texans roster. Cunningham agreed to restructure his deal in March to create more cap space. 

A second-round pick by the Texans in the 2017 NFL draft, Cunningham has appeared in 72 games over the past five seasons. He recorded more than 100 combined tackles in each of the previous three seasons, including an NFL-high 164 in 2020. 

The Vanderbilt alum also led the league with 106 solo tackles last year. He played every defensive snap in five of his 10 games for the Texans in 2021.    

Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor reportedly may have suffered torn ligaments in his left wrist in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the injury, later noting Taylor is considered week-to-week and Davis Mills is in line to start against the Seattle Seahawks next week.

The 32-year-old has completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 966 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions in his first year with Houston.

The 11-year NFL veteran has played for the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers and Texans. He was a three-year starter in Buffalo from 2015 to 2017, earning a Pro Bowl appearance in 2015 and helping the Bills to their first playoff berth in 18 years in 2017.

Taylor became the starting quarterback for the Texans this year. He took over for Deshaun Watson, who faces 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints by women accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct

Watson is on the active roster but has been declared out each week with a non-injury-related designation on the team's injury reports.

Taylor guided Houston to victory in Week 1 over the Jacksonville Jaguars and led a strong first-half effort against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

However, the Virginia Tech product pulled up in the end zone and limped to the sideline after a 15-yard second-quarter touchdown run during his team's 31-21 loss to the Browns.

He then missed the next six games with a hamstring injury. 

With Taylor out, Mills will return to the starting role. The ex-Stanford star, who Houston selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, has completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,406 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games (six starts) this year.

Veteran running back Phillip Lindsay was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, per his agent Mike McCartney. 

Lindsay was waived by the Houston Texans on Tuesday. 

Lindsay, 27, rushed 50 times for 130 yards and a touchdown in 10 games for the Texans this season. He spent the first three years of his career with the Denver Broncos, tallying 2,550 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in that time, which included consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2018-19. 

But with Melvin Gordon III added to the team in 2020, he took on a more complementary role and signed with the Texans ahead of the 2021 campaign. 

Houston had a full slate of veteran running back options in David Johnson, Rex Burkhead and Royce Freeman, making Lindsay expendable. 

In Miami, he'll fight for playing time behind Myles Gaskin in what is already a pretty crowded backfield. 

Gaskin leads all Dolphins running backs with 123 carries and 433 yards, though he's scored just one touchdown on the ground. The Dolphins rank 31st in the NFL with a woeful 77.4 rushing yards per game. 

Lindsay should help improve that unit, even if he isn't a major upgrade.  

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh defended the team's decision to trade a sixth-round pick for Joe Flacco, calling it a "no risk" deal.

“When someone offers a sixth-round pick for a player of Joe’s caliber, there is no risk,” Saleh told reporters.

The Jets sent a conditional sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles last month after Zach Wilson went down with a knee injury. The move seemed odd at the time, as the Jets were 1-5 with no hope of making the playoffs when Wilson went down. Mike White had done a fine enough job in relief, and journeyman Josh Johnson was on the roster as a potential backup.

Flacco, languishing third on the Eagles' depth chart, was seemingly content holding a clipboard in what appeared likely to be his final NFL stop.

The Jets instead gave the 36-year-old what may be his last NFL start in Week 11, with Flacco throwing for 292 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins. It was a fine overall performance, but Flacco is not a quality NFL quarterback at this point in his career, and the risk of acquiring him became even more evident when he revealed he is not vaccinated for COVID-19.

The Jets saw their worst-case scenario play out this week with Flacco being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list with a close contact. 

White has also been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, leaving Johnson as the primary backup to a returning Wilson. 

The Houston Texans have released running back Phillip Lindsay, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Lindsay totaled 130 rushing yards and a touchdown on 50 carries for the Texans this season, adding three catches for 37 yards and a score. His 2.6 yards per attempt represented the worst mark of his career.

The 27-year-old appeared in just two offensive plays during Sunday's 22-13 win over the Tennessee Titans, finishing with one carry for negative-three yards.

Prior to his struggles in Houston, the 2018 undrafted free agent was a breakout performer during his rookie season with the Denver Broncos. He beat out the highly touted Royce Freeman for playing time before totaling 1,037 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl selection.

The former Colorado star continued the production in 2018 with 1,011 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, adding 35 receptions for 196 yards.

Though his playing time decreased in 2020 with the addition of Melvin Gordon III, Lindsay finished with 2,550 rushing yards across three seasons with the Broncos, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. 

The past production could make him a target on waivers, especially with notable injuries at the position around the league. The Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets could all be interested in a proven running back.

Houston traded leading rusher Mark Ingram II in October, leaving David Johnson as the top remaining player with 137 rushing yards and 198 receiving yards this season.

Rex Burkhead will also get plenty of work. He totaled 18 carries for 40 yards Sunday.

That might not be enough to help a Texans offense that ranks last in the NFL in rushing.    

Houston Texans quarterback Jeff Driskel is pulling a Tim Tebow. 

Texans tight ends coach Andy Bischoff told reporters Thursday that Driskel is making the switch to tight end, adding that the 28-year-old is "a rare athlete." Houston believes Driskel has "the speed and size" to successfully make the switch. 

Bischoff also told reporters Driskel could contribute on special teams but wouldn't predict when the former sixth-round pick would be active. 

"We're more looking at this as a developmental process," he said. 

Bischoff added that Driskel is in the tight end room full time and is also in special teams meetings. The decision was sparked in a meeting between Bischoff, head coach David Culley and general manager Nick Caserio. 

In 15 career games, Driskel has 53 carries for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus also noted he has just one six-yard catch in his NFL career. 

The former Florida and Louisiana Tech product is 1-8 as a quarterback, completing 58.6 percent of his passes for 2,120 yards and 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions.

It's unclear how well Driskel will do with the move. Tebow's experiment at tight end with the Jacksonville Jaguars over the summer failed miserably, and he's also considered very athletic, having also played in the New York Mets minor league system. 

Driskel was never going to make it in Houston's system as a quarterback behind Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills. He stands more a chance as a tight end as the Texans only have Pharoah Brown, Jordan Akins, Brevin Jordan and Antony Auclair at the position.

Houston's tight ends have combined for just 382 yards and two touchdowns this season, so it's really no surprise the Texans are willing to give Driskel a shot. However, if he is unable to successfully transition, the franchise might decide to move on as he's playing on a one-year deal.