TEXANS TALK
How the least popular QB move still might be Houston Texans' best chance
Jun 6, 2022, 2:07 pm
Let's examine in what capacity Davis Mills will be a part of the Texans future
Let's examine in what capacity Davis Mills will be a part of the Texans future
After nearly six years of effectively being banned from the NFL for his social and political stance (actually kneeling), Colin Kaepernick finally got a legit tryout with the Las Vegas Raiders recently. He threw bullets. Now suddenly there is interest in Kaepernick. Reportedly two more NFL teams would like his agent’s phone number.
The Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings are mentioned as possible suitors in need of a quarterback.
Of course it’d be a longshot gamble signing Kaepernick. He’s 34 years old and hasn’t thrown an NFL pass in anger since 2016. Those are difficult numbers to get beyond. But the biggest risk for a team would be public relations – how would its fans react to signing a player that the president of the United States called a “son of a bitch” for kneeling during the national anthem.
Kaepernick took a knee for the anthem in 2016 to protest police actions against people of color. Critics interpreted his kneeling as disrespectful of the flag and U.S. military. By the end of the 2016 season, Kaepernick was toxic, unable to find a job in the NFL.
Six years is proving to be a long time ago. Incidents have happened. The world of sports has changed. People think differently. The manager of the San Francisco Giants, in response to gun violence in America, now refuses to be on the field during the national anthem – and there’s hardly a peep.
Still, how would fans react to an NFL team signing Kaepernick? Would fans villainize the owner? Would fans stop coming to games?
That’s why the Houston Texans are precisely the right team to step up and sign Colin Kaepernick.
Would fans villainize the owner? Already done. Would fans stop coming to games? Already done. When attendance at NRG Stadium for Texans games is announced at 68,000 it has fans wondering “are we in Orlando?” Because that’s where Fantasyland is.
The team is coming off back-to-back seasons with four wins and a recent history of multiple coaching changes, new team president, new general manager, an executive v.p. who’s despised by fans for his TV preacher bullcrap, exiling popular players for little in return, and a gifted quarterback accused of serial sexual misconduct who’s now gone for pennies on his talent.
The Texans are making changes hoping to regain its fans’ faith. The current general manager seems to know his business. The new team president is well-liked and respected. There is reborn spirit in office morale.
The Texans need Kaepernick. We have a second-year quarterback who could gain from Kaepernick’s experience and willingness to take a backup role.
And if Davis Mills falters, you just wait for fans to start shouting Kaepernick’s name. Nothing would get Houston talking more about the Texans than a good old-fashioned quarterback controversy.
Yes he’s been out of the game for nearly six seasons, but let’s not forget that Kaepernick is one hell of a dedicated physical specimen. In college, he was the first Division 1 quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards and run for 4,000 yards. In the NFL, he started all 16 games and led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013. Over his career, from 2011-2016, in 58 starts he threw 72 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He has a winning career record. In his last season, starting about half the games, he threw 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He’s 6 ft. 4 and has stayed in shape.
Did you know that he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs after his senior year of high school? In 2013, seven years removed from baseball, he threw out the first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game and fired an 87 mph fastball right over the plate.
He wasn’t banished from the NFL because of his skill. He was a political exile and perhaps it’s time to get past his past. Muhammad Ali, John Lennon, Jane Fonda and others, once despised for their beliefs, now embraced as beloved icons.
Who do the Texans have backing up Mills? Kevin Hogan, “the Gunslinger,” has started one game since entering the league in 2016. He hasn’t appeared in a game since 2017. He has a career mark of four touchdowns and seven completions to the other team. Kyle Allen has a career 7-10 record as a starter with 24 TDs and 17 interceptions. Jeff Driskel is listed as a quarterback on the Texans’ current roster but really isn’t.
I don’t care if Kaepernick spent the last six years eating cheeseburgers and getting fat on the couch watching TV (he hasn’t). You think he couldn’t beat out those other backups?
Above anything else, Houston fans are Texans in their soul – we love winning. It's been a while. Signing Kaepernick gives us the best, at least better, chance of getting there.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
___________________________
Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!