Houston Texans officially name veteran Tyrod Taylor starting QB

HOUSTON -- Tyrod Taylor was officially named the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans and will make his debut for the franchise on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"Tyrod Taylor will start for us at quarterback, for sure," coach David Culley said Monday.

The announcement was not a surprise, but Culley had declined to make it official until Monday morning.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson is also on the Texans' 53-man roster but is expected to be a healthy scratch on game days for Houston. Watson, who requested a trade in January, faces 22 civil lawsuits for allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior.

The quarterback is not expected to play for Houston in 2021 despite the fact that he has not been restricted from taking part in team activities or playing in games by the NFL.

Rookie Davis Mills, a third-round pick, will be Taylor's backup. Houston also has quarterback Jeff Driskel, who spent the offseason with the Texans, on its practice squad.

Taylor, 32, signed a one-year contract with the Texans in March after spending two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Taylor started the season opener for Los Angeles in 2020 but was sidelined the following week when a Chargers team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while trying to give him a pain-killing injection just before kickoff.

The 10-year veteran has made 47 starts in his career. He has passed for 9,770 yards with 54 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and rushed for 1,850 yards and 16 touchdowns in 72 games overall.