National Football League

Texans name starting QB on first day of minicamp

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:44 p.m. ET

Ross Jones

It was just a matter of time before head coach Bill O’Brien selected his starting quarterback. The beginning of mandatory minicamp proved to be the right time.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was hand selected this offseason and named the Texans’ starter on Tuesday.

“He’s a guy that earned the job,” said O’Brien after the team’s minicamp session.

While Fitzpatrick has a wealth of experience with 77 starts under his belt, he has been erratic, turning the ball over 65 times over the last three seasons.

“I think with knowledge is power,” quarterbacks coach George Godsey said last Thursday. “Obviously, with his experience he has a little bit more knowledge maybe than the other quarterbacks right now because of some of the maybe negative things that he has experienced or positive things. I think that is one of the advantages that he has.”

The quick decision ends speculation that TJ Yates, Case Keenum or rookie Tom Savage were candidates to win the job. The Texans dealt quarterback Matt Schaub to the Raiders for a sixth-round pick this offseason.

While Yates led the Texans to the franchise’s first postseason victory in 2011, he could be on the outside looking in as O’Brien has hinted at only carrying three quarterbacks into the season.