As the Texans deal with the wreckage of a season of failed expectations thanks in part to subpar performances by their starting quarterback in big games, the head coach has reiterated what is obvious in light of Matt Schaub’s contract: Schaub will remain the team’s quarterback.
“I believe in Matt,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday, via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “I have no doubts about him. He’s our quarterback. The team has to get better for us to take the next step.”
Part of the team getting better is the quarterback getting better. It is, after all, a quarterback’s league. And the four teams left in the playoffs all have gotten there with great quarterback play.
Even if the Texans wanted to make a change at the most important position on the field, they couldn’t. Schaub received more than $22 million in 2012, he’s due to earn a fully-guaranteed base salary of $7.25 million in 2013, and there’s still $14 million in dead money that would hit the cap in 2013 (and likely the bulk of it in 2014) if Schaub were cut.