Houston Texans

Brock Osweiler said he didn't go to White House because of OTAs

Published Jun. 6, 2016 7:36 p.m. ET

foxsports

It's one of the perks of winning a Super Bowl -- taking a trip to the White House and visiting the President. The Denver Broncos did just that Monday, enjoying their time with Barack Obama.

But one of the key contributors to last year's team was nowhere to be found. Earlier this month, Brock Osweiler indicated he would not join his former teammates to rub elbows with the President.

Osweiler, who signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Houston Texans in March, opened up about why he wasn't in D.C. on Monday.

"If there was no OTA today, I would have gone to the White House," Osweiler told reporters in Houston, via NFL.com. "It would have been a tremendous experience."

Osweiler emphasized the importance of practice time with his new club, which gave him $37 million guaranteed in the offseason despite his relative lack of NFL experience.

"I believe that every single practice, every single rep, every single meeting I can get in this new offense is the most important thing for myself and my teammates right now," Osweiler said.

Practice time should be vital for Osweiler, who has just seven starts in his four-year NFL career. He went 5-2 with the Broncos last season, when he filled in for an injured Peyton Manning. Osweiler threw for 1,967 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2015.

The Broncos went back to Manning as the starter late in the season, and he guided the team to its third Super Bowl championship. Manning announced his retirement soon after the Super Bowl, and many assumed that Osweiler would be the starter going forward in Denver.

But the Texans made an aggressive pitch that eventually paid off, as Osweiler opted to leave Denver for Houston.