Brock Osweiler wanted to create his own legacy, his new boss says, and that's why the 25-year-old quarterback left the Broncos after four seasons to sign with the Texans.
Texans owner Bob McNair said Monday at the NFL owners' meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., that Osweiler wanted to escape the shadows of now-retired Peyton Manning and Broncos general manager John Elway. Instead of taking over for Manning in Denver, Osweiler joined the Texans on a four-year deal worth $72 million, with $37 million guaranteed.
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"He had played behind Peyton and with John Elway there. Their shadows were quite large," McNair said, via ESPN.com. "He was still going to be under that and compared to them. He has a chance to be a real hero in Houston. And we’ve got a good ball club so I think all those things entered into it."
McNair has a valid point.
Both Manning and Elway walked away from the game after winning their second Super Bowl championship. Manning announced his retirement March 7, a month after helping the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. Elway was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII and announced his retirement three months later.
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Manning is a lock to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he's eligible in five years. Elway was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2004.
It's always hard to be "the guy after the guy," as Brian Griese and Jake Plummer found out in the years following Elway's retirement. Osweiler will start fresh in Houston after appearing in 21 games with the Broncos, including seven starts last season while Manning was out with a torn plantar fascia.
The Texans are hoping to find some stability at quarterback after using multiple starters in four of the last five seasons, including four — Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett,, T.J. Yates and Brandon Weeden — last season. Osweiler has thrown for 2,126 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions over his career. Despite Osweiler's limited experience, McNair believes his new starter will be successful in Houston.
"If we didn't think he had the ability and the attitude to be a winner for us we wouldn't have signed him to that kind of contract," McNair said. "I have every confidence he will succeed. How good will he be remains to be seen. Will he be average or will he be a superstar? But I think he'll be more than adequate in any case. That's what we were looking for in the past. If the quarterback doesn't turn the ball over with our defense and our running game, we've got a chance to beat anybody. But when the quarterback turns the ball over, anybody can beat you if they don't turn it over."