The Buccaneers and Texans have tabbed new starting quarterbacks heading into Week 10, according to multiple reports. Bucs signal-caller Mike Glennon announced yesterday that he has been informed Josh McCown will re-assume the starting job in Tampa Bay (Twitter link), while Houston head coach Bill O’Brien announced today that Ryan Mallett will replace Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Texans’ starter.
While PFR typically doesn’t focus too heavily on lineup changes, these two moves could have long-lasting roster implications, depending on how the new starters fare on the field. In Tampa Bay, new head coach Lovie Smith referred to Glennon earlier this year as the team’s quarterback of the future, despite the fact that the club signed McCown this past offseason expecting the ex-Bear to start. When McCown struggled early on, and then went down with a hand injury, it looked as if Glennon might take the reins for the rest of the season, in what has become a rebuilding year for the Bucs. Now it appears that won’t be the case.
As for the Texans, while Fitzpatrick was tabbed the starter coming into the season, the team also acquired Mallett via trade prior earlier this year, and selected Tom Savage in the draft. Mallett was viewed as a candidate to get a shot at some point, and if he has a strong second half, it could have a huge impact on his future earnings — the former Patriot is eligible for free agency at season’s end, so it’s possible he parlays a strong finish into a more lucrative contract than he would have otherwise received. Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, signed a two-year pact with Houston, but the Texans could get out of that deal next season with just $625K on their 2015 cap, rather than committing to a $3.25MM base salary.
While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Glennon get another shot for the Bucs before the end of the season, the Texans seem committed to seeing what Mallett can do down the stretch, once the club returns from its Week 10 bye.