Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has seen nearly a dozen quarterbacks come and go during his four years in Houston. Now he’s decided who he’s picking in the Texans quarterback battle between rookie Deshaun Watson and fourth-year pro Tom Savage. If it’s up to him, Savage will be starting this fall.
From ESPN’s Dan Graziano:
“If anybody should be a judge of quarterbacks, I’ve played with the most quarterbacks in NFL history throughout my first four years. So I put the stamp on Savage, and I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.”
[…]
“I’ve played with at least 10 quarterbacks. So because of what (Savage) does well and what he can do for this team, I know he can help us win what we want to win. He does everything well. He’s a student of the game, from just being on the bench, watching and learning from other people’s mistakes, seeing what they’ve done wrong. He can put the ball in any place. He has a strong arm. He has a knowledge of this offense. He’s been in this offense his whole career.”
Last week, Hopkins spoke to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop about improving his chemistry with Savage, who has been his teammate as a backup for three years, this offseason, so his answer isn’t too surprising. The 27-year-old Savage started the final three games last season after Brock Osweiler’s well-documented struggles.
Savage could be the best option now but he’s not the team’s long-term option considering the Texans traded up to the 12th pick in May to draft Watson. While coach Bill O’Brien called Watson the best rookie quarterback he’s ever seen, he’s remained on the second team in training camp.
O'Brien: "Deshaun is ahead of any rookie quarterback I've ever been around."
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 1, 2017
Hopkins may like Savage, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney guaranteed Watson will lead the Texans to a Super Bowl. You decide who to believe.
[ESPN]
