Texans GM Nick Caserio explains why they’re one of the few teams to keep 3 QB’s

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer

Aug 30, 2023 12:31 PM EDT

The Houston Texans caught a little flac from the fanbase and some media members when they announced that C.J. Stroud, their No. 2 overall pick in this last draft, would be the starting quarterback for Week 1. We all knew he would start because everyone knows what Davis Mills is, and that is no shot at him. Not to mention, teams usually, and by usually, I mean seldom, bench their No. 2 overall pick in Week 1 if he's the quarterback.

The Texan's best chance to continue to build something that is competitive throughout the years is by playing the quarterback you just drafted; that way, he has a better chance of developing into someone who can be elite and take the franchise to new heights. So far, Stroud has done well. He hasn't been amazing, but he hasn't been bad. He has been a rookie.

"I think CJ, the big thing with him, he's put his head down and worked from the day he walked in the building," general manager Nick Caserio said on Wednesday. "There's going to be some ups and downs. This league is hard; we've talked about that."

We expect to see Stroud throw questionable passes or interceptions, anything a rookie quarterback does. That doesn't mean he is and will be bad. However, one thing we don't expect to see is the guys that play behind him. You never expect your No. 2 overall pick quarterback to be so bad that the backups get a chance to play, or he gets hurt, so the guys behind him play.

Caserio feels a bit different about that. He thinks the Texans will likely see all three guys on the field in 2023.

"And I mean, we're one of, I don't know, 12 teams, 13 teams that carry three quarterbacks on the roster," Caserio continued. "So, I mean, we feel good about all three players, and I think the reality is, I mean; unfortunately, this is just the way the league goes; there's a good chance you're going to see all three of those guys at some point during a year."

It's not a great thing to have a great quarterback room because then that likely means there are questions with your starter, and you are confident if your backups have to come in, but it's also not bad. You want a good backup quarterback because injuries happen, but you never want to see him play.

Look at San Francisco, for example. They did have three guys that could play, and everyone thought that they had a good quarterback room, and they still do, too. However, that means that your starter could be better. If there is a quarterback battle for that first spot, there are still some questions. With the Texans, they made it seem that way, but it was always Stroud.

However, saying that there is a chance all three quarterbacks could play in 2023 isn't good. You shouldn't say that. You should continue to back your decision to draft Stroud and talk him up into having an okay rookie season.

For now, though, it's just about them getting better.

"Yeah, I think you're just looking for, you know, progress each day," Caserio said. "So, building on little things that day, day after day. So I'd say that position overall, I'd say all three players from where they started in the spring to where they are now like they've all improved."

Stroud has a lot of room to improve, but if you think he gets hurt or plays badly enough that he is no longer in the game, then that hinders his ability to become the guy that Houston needs him to be.

The injury argument makes sense, especially now. The Texans have seen so many injuries to their offensive line over the last month or so that the future health of the quarterback is in question. Tytsu Howard is dealing with a hand injury. Juice Scruggs is dealing with a hamstring, and Kenyon Green is out for the season.

The Texans have deth, but that doesn't always mean it's good. Offensive line depth is one of the most important things, and the Texans' are behind in that department.

Ultimately, that is why they are keeping three quarterbacks on their roster. While, no, you don't want to hear that they all three will play because then that means you aren't confident in the abilities of your team, specifically the offensive line, you do understand that injuries happen. The Texans are simply being cautious, even if they are going about some things incorrectly.