Brock Osweiler Agrees To Deal With Texans, According To Reports

Backup Denver Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler has agreed to a deal with the Houston Texans, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network. The Broncos were expected to sign their backup-turned-starter to a contract extension this offseason, but were unable to finalize a deal in time and thus Osweiler decided to sign with the Texans.

Brock Osweiler Agrees To Deal With Texans, According To Reports

The four-year deal is worth $72 million with $37 million guaranteed, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Osweiler will be among the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in terms of 2016 cash.

The Texans had several players start as QB last season. Brian Hoyer was named the starter at first, but was benched after just one game for Ryan Mallett. Mallet was also benched and then eventually released while Hoyer returned but then quickly became injured. T.J. Yates was then put in, got hurt and was replaced by Brandon Weeden. Hoyer was the one who led Houston to the playoffs last season, but threw four interceptions in a 30-0 beatdown by the Kansas City Chiefs that knocked the Texans out of the Wild Card round. However, the often-injured and inconsistent Hoyer didn’t seem to have a very great season given his limited playing time, completing just 60.7 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns and throwing seven interceptions.

Osweiler sat on the bench for his first three seasons in the NFL, but got the opportunity to fill in for Peyton Manning in Week 10 after the veteran QB threw four interceptions and only five passes. Manning was fighting plantar fasciitis and Osweiler thus started in the next seven games, going 5-2, throwing for 1,967 yards and nine touchdowns with only five picks. Manning returned again in Week 17, in the last game of the Broncos’ regular season.

Ahead of his fifth season in the NFL, Osweiler has now played 21 games under one of the most successful quarterbacks in history. There is no doubt that the young QB will do well in Houston given this track record.

“Coming to Houston was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Osweiler said. “What I see with this football team is something special. I believe this organization is on the cusp of doing something great. That’s something I want to be a part of. I’m very excited to be here and just get to work.”

Veteran NFL quarterback Matt Flynn, who played for the Packers, the Seahawks, and the Saints among other teams in his career, expressed his disbelief with Osweiler’s contract via Twitter:

The irony here is that Flynn himself also earned a significant amount of money after only having started in a few games.

Caption: DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 28: Quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 of the Denver Broncos passes against the Cincinnati Bengals during a game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 28, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)