A day after finding out he didn’t win a training camp competition for the starting job, Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett told reporters he was “angry” and “disappointed” in coach Bill O’Brien’s decision to name Brian Hoyer the starter.
“I wanted this job more than anything,” Mallett said.
Mallett was open and honest, and that was fine with O’Brien. The second-year coach told reporters Mallett had the attitude O’Brien wanted to see after the decision.
“You don’t want a guy doing backsprings when he’s named the backup,” O’Brien said.
Hoyer has more NFL experience than Mallett and signed with the team in March shortly after Mallett agreed to return to the Texans, a sign the starting job was very open. O’Brien said as little as possible throughout camp about the competition and said after last Saturday’s preseason game he’d have a hard time naming a starter anytime soon.
But he did two days later, giving Hoyer this week to prepare as the starter in what’s generally the most important week of the preseason. Mallett will return to the backup role he played last year after being acquired in a late August trade; he started two games before a torn pectoral shut him down for the season.
“I don’t agree with (the decision),” Mallett said. “I’ll do what I have to do to better the team.”