The Houston Texans will have a new quarterback under center.
Head coach David Culley announced Monday that Tyrod Taylor will start the season opener Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Well, Tyrod Taylor is going to start for us at quarterback, for sure,” Culley said Monday during a press conference. “I know that’s the one everyone’s wondering. It has come up before, but he will start for us on Sunday.”
This comes as incumbent starter and three-time Pro Bowler Deshaun Watsoncontinues to face 22 civil lawsuits from women alleging sexual misconduct or assault. Watson also demanded a trade in the offseason and was mostly held out of the team’s training camp practices.
Watson is still on Houston’s active roster, but the NFL is still investigating the allegations against him.
Taylor, 32, has played in the NFL 10 seasons, most recently with the Los Angeles Chargers. He completed 16 of 30 passes for 208 yards as the Week 1 starter, but he was sidelined the following week when a doctor accidentally punctured his lung with a pain-killing injection. The mishap forced Taylor to miss several games, and rookie first-round selection Justin Herbert taken control of the starting job by the time the veteran was healthy.