RICHMOND, Va. -- The NFL is a quarterback-first league, but the Houston Texans definitely aren't a quarterback-first team with J.J. Watt the league's top player who doesn't throw passes for a living.
Still, Watt needs some help if the Texans are going to be a playoff team this season, and the primary intrigue surrounding the team this summer has been who will win the starting quarterback competition between former Arkansas Razorback Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer.
Mallett gives Coach Bill O'Brien an interesting option at quarterback after re-signing with the Texans in free agency during the offseason. The former understudy to Tom Brady with the New England Patriots has the size at 6-6 and 245 pounds and the eye-catching arm strength to look the part of a starter.
But he has made only two NFL starts, both for the Texans last season. Mallett has thrown just 79 regular-season passes in the NFL, 75 of them last season for Houston. He threw four regular-season passes in three seasons combined with the Patriots.
"It's going good," Mallett said recently of the Texans' quarterback competition. "I'm working on going out and getting better every day. That's really all we can do right now is take it day by day and get better, keep working."
Mallett, speaking last weekend as the Texans wrapped up a series of joint practices with the Washington Redskins in Richmond, pronounced himself ready to be an NFL starter.
"I've been ready," he said. "Right now I'm competing for a spot. So we'll see what happens."
The Texans signed Hoyer as a free agent after Hoyer spent most of last season as the Cleveland Browns' starter ahead of rookie Johnny Manziel.
Hoyer kept the Browns in playoff contention for much of the season but ended up throwing 13 interceptions to go with 12 touchdown passes while posting a modest passer rating of 76.5. He has a passer rating of 76.8 in an NFL career that included previous stints with the Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.
Houston finished one game out of an AFC playoff spot last season and has the sport's most dominant defender in Watt. The success of O'Brien's quarterback choice could go a long way toward determining whether the Texans take the next step this year.
"[Mallett] looks great to me," said wide receiver Cecil Shorts, who signed with the Texans after four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I don't know much about him before that. Really, all the quarterbacks look good. They all take charge of the offense when they're running with the [starters] or the [backups]. From Tom [Savage], Ryan and Brian, they all do a good job running the offense.
"I'm glad I don't have to make that decision."
Mallett said he re-signed with the Texans in part because of the opportunity he knew he would have to compete for the starting job.
"It's close to home," he said. "I love being in Houston. It's awesome. I'm familiar with the offense and I wanted a chance to play. I knew I had a chance to play here, so I'm ready to go out and show what I've got. ... It's the comfort [level] with the system, the town. I bought a house there.
"I'm ready to hopefully be there for a long time."
Sports on 08/13/2015