HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton native and former Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor will start his 10th NFL season this weekend as QB No. 1 for the Houston Texans when they play the Jaguars.
The 32-year-old takes over for former Houston starter Deshaun Watson, who’s still on the roster but facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct. Watson has requested a trade from the team and isn’t expected to play in Houston this season.
“Tyrod Taylor will start for us at quarterback, for sure,” said coach David Culley in a press conference on Monday.
Taylor was the starter for the Los Angeles Chargers last season before his lung was punctured by a team doctor who was trying to administer a pain-killing injection to Taylor’s cracked ribs.
He signed a 1-year deal with Houston this spring after two seasons with Los Angeles. Before the Chargers, he spent a season in Cleveland after three years as the starter in Buffalo. He helped the Bills end an 18-year playoff drought in 2017. He’s thrown for nearly 10,000 passing yards in 72 career games (47 starts) and has 54 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
The backups for Houston are rookie 3rd round pick Davis Mills from Stanford and practice squad QB Jeff Driskel. Game time is at 1 p.m.
Taylor was recently home on the Peninsula to watch “Space Jam 2” with kids from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula.
