The Houston Texans have managed to win three games this year despite relying on a rookie to carry them after a terrible performance by veteran quarterback Tom Savage to start the season.
Now the Texans are 3-5, and rookie-sensation Deshaun Watson has gone under the knife to repair his torn ACL. Savage returned to the starting lineup Nov. 5 and gave another poor performance in a 14-20 loss at home against the Colts.
Then he came out on Sunday and turned the ball over four times to the Los Angeles Rams, handing them an easy 33-7 win. The Texans have clearly chosen losing over any shot at the playoffs this season with Savage under center.
The Texans are one of many teams who would rather lose on the field than take on Colin Kaepernick and his protest “distraction.” Like the Cardinals, Browns and Packers, the Texans seem set on giving anyone else with a pulse a chance at quarterback rather than take on the headache that comes with signing the citizen of the year.
Politics aside, Kaepernick is better than at least 10 starters in the league and almost every single backup, yet Savage has a starting job over him.
Getting Savage off the field and on the bench is the only thing that should matter to a team that desperately needs a winning season to save the jobs of the coaching staff and players. Keeping Savage as the starter means the team will likely be one of the worst in the NFL and will be looking at a top-five pick in next year’s draft.
Although Kaepernick has essentially been shunned by the league, he is still a better quarterback than Savage and other starters being trotted out on the field to pretend to play football. Bob McNair’s recent comments and the owners’ collective decision to not sign Kaepernick make it obvious that they have blackballed him for bringing politics into football.
It’s a shame that this league has essentially shut out a good quarterback because of his decision to use the biggest platform he has to shed light on police brutality.
The former 49ers star takes a knee not to disrespect the soldiers who fought and died for our country but to bring attention to the oppression of minorities in this country. To say this is anything more than a peaceful protest or dismiss it as nonsense is to be blind or too privileged to see what’s been happening for years.
The Texans have one clear answer at quarterback, and McNair has one clear way to redeem himself after his ludicrous comments to fellow owners recently.
“We can’t have the inmates running the prison,” McNair said during a discussion with NFL owners about the protests.
This comment isn’t just disgusting; it proves exactly why Kaepernick is not on an NFL team right now, even as a backup.
It would not only be a political decision to sign Kaepernick; it would improve the team. Savage could not be worse if he tried. In three starts, the 6-foot-4 quarterback is 44 of 93 for 502 yards and two touchdowns. He is responsible for eight turnovers including six fumbles and has lost all three of his starts so far this season. He has struggled to find any rhythm and has completed 47.3 percent of his passes with a tough schedule ahead.
Meanwhile, Kaepernick’s last game action in 2016 far outweighs anything Savage can dream of this season. He appeared in 12 games for San Francisco, going 196 of 331 for 2,241 yards, 16 TDs and only four interceptions. Add 468 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, and you have a stat sheet that Savage can only dream of.
Why not, as an owner, take a chance on Kaepernick if you are in need? We are in a league that features Jay Cutler, Drew Stanton, Brett Hundley and some guy off the street named CJ Beathard as starters in the NFL. It’s crazy to think that the guy who almost led the 49ers to a Super Bowl victory in 2012 can’t even find a job as a backup quarterback
The Texans are now basically out of the playoff race with a 3-6 record and no sign of any change at quarterback. They simply cannot function with a crutch at their most important position, but the owner and head coach have made their views clear after passing on Kaepernick again and signing quarterback Josh Johnson.
Strap in. Savage doesn’t seem to be getting any better, and there is no relief in sight. At least Texans fans are used to seeing struggles come from the quarterback position and should get over it relatively soon. The problem is that the coaching staff might not make it past this season, and the Texans will find themselves with a star but no head coach to guide him.
sports@thedailycougar.com
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“Texans choose irrelevance over Kaepernick” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar