Benching Brock Osweiler was not a one-game decision.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien confirmed today that Tom Savage, who replaced Osweiler in Sunday’s comeback win over the Jaguars, will remain Houston’s starter when the Texans face the Bengals on Saturday night.
“Tom Savage will be the starting quarterback this week against Cincinnati,” O’Brien said. “As I said yesterday, we don’t make decisions based on anything other than what’s best for the team. We make decisions on what we think helps the team win, and I think yesterday, this week, Tom Savage gives us the best chance to win. We’re going to give him a week to prepare to start and see how he does on Saturday night against the Bengals.”
O’Brien defended Osweiler as a good teammate who took his benching well.
“I have total respect for Brock Osweiler,” O’Brien said. “Yesterday he did a nice job between series, helping Tom, telling him what he saw.”
After signing Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract this offseason, the Texans can’t feel good about benching him just 14 games into his tenure in Houston. But there’s little doubt that O’Brien made the right call yesterday and the right call today. Osweiler simply isn’t playing well enough to earn a starting job.