Report: T.J. Yates returning to be Texans Backup Quarterback
Former North Carolina quarterback T.J. Yates could be back on his way to the NFL. According to reports from Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle, the Houston Texans will bring Yates in to man the backup quarterback position.
Yates was last on the Texans about two years ago. He ended up on the Atlanta Falcons in a trade at the beginning of the Bill O’Brien tenure in Houston. Yates has been a free agent since he had been cut by the Falcons earlier this year.
Yates’ first tenure in Houston saw him take command when the team lost Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart in the same game. Yates then led the Texans to a playoff victory before the team was beaten by the Ravens in the divisional round.
The story of why Yates and the Texans are getting back together is kind of interesting. The Texans have been dealing with the aftermath of their relationship with Ryan Mallett.
The strong-armed former backup to Tom Brady proved to have some flaws. Mallett missed a team practice in the preseason and a team plane to Miami in the regular season.
He might have been able to survive such mistakes, but his on field performance was not that good either. The Texans have benched Mallett in favor of Brian Hoyer twice. The plane issue was the last straw for the Texans. He was released. He was the only other quarterback on the roster so the Texans had to go find someone and that someone was the familiar low drama Yates.
Yates should be remembered fondly by Tar Heel fans. He held all the school passing records when he left and was once considered by Roy Williams (link goes to wrong Roy Williams) to be a ‘foxhole guy.’ The Fedora era has seen some of Yates’ records eclipsed, but his name is still first in several categories. Good luck to him given Hoyer’s history with injuries.