HOUSTON — Quarterback Deshaun Watson will not be active for the Houston Texans‘ game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night despite starter Tyrod Taylor‘s uncertain status, coach David Culley said Monday.
Taylor is getting an MRI on his left hamstring and is considered day-to-day, Culley said.
Taylor was replaced by rookie Davis Mills to start the second half of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. He injured his hamstring when he ran for a 15-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. Taylor finished the second half.
“Something happened on the touchdown,” Culley said. “It wasn’t to the point where he felt he couldn’t go. … The way he is, he never said anything to anybody.”
Culley said Monday that Taylor told him he was OK and wanted to go back in the game, but the head coach said he wanted to make sure the injury wouldn’t get worse.
“I said, ‘Look, we’re going with Davis [Mills],'” Culley said. “I said, ‘This is for the long haul, this is not for the short haul.'”
Mills finished 8-of-18 passing for 102 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception in the Texans’ 31-21 loss, which dropped them to 1-1 this season. Mills was Houston’s first draft pick — a third-round selection — in April.
Watson was not active for the Texans’ first two games this season. He faces 22 active lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, but he has not been restricted from taking part in team activities by the NFL. The quarterback also requested a trade in January because he was not happy with the direction of the franchise and the process used to hire general manager Nick Caserio.
The Texans sought a package of six players and NFL draft picks from teams interested in trading for Watson this summer, league sources have told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.