It’s a big year for Texans quarterback Matt Schaub.
He hasn’t played since Houston’s 10th game of last season, missing a chance to play in the team’s first playoff game as a result. The Texans are the favorites in the AFC South this season, with some believing they have what it takes to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. That’s always a pressured spot for a quarterback and the pressure is only going to rise thanks to the fact that Schaub’s contract expires at the end of the season.
There haven’t been any real negotiations about a new deal at this point, likely because the Texans want to see Schaub get through a full season before deciding how many shekels they’d like to commit to him. If Schaub’s assessment of his own health is accurate, Houston will be able to cross that off their list of reasons not to go forward with Schaub.
“I’ve been chomping at the bit to get this season going since the spring. I’m so excited about what we bring to the table and what we’re capable of doing. We understand the job we have to get done,” Schaub said, via John McClain of the Houston Chroincle. “Going into the season, I feel as good physically as I ever have. With the weapons we have — the way the offense is moving and how good the defense is — we’re as good as we’ve been going into Week 1. I feel really confident about where we’re headed.”
Schaub’s name doesn’t come up much when the top quarterbacks in football come up for discussion, largely because of his health and because the Texans could never find their way into the playoffs until last season. He’s not Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees and isn’t about to turn into them, but Schaub’s name will come up in those conversations if he’s healthy and the Texans play as well as expected in 2012.
