Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has started a lot of games. He has produced two 4,000-yard seasons, including one where he led the NFL in passing yards. He's this era's Trent Green.
But despite that production, Schaub doesn't necessarily have a lot of leverage when it comes to his future, and he seems to know it.
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That's why he's not sweating the fact he's entering the final year of his contract at age 31.
"That stuff, if we take care of our business, get our job done, things will take care of themselves," Schaub told Nick Scurfield on a podcast for HoustonTexans.com. "But I love the city of Houston and want to be here for many years to come. It's important for me to finish what we started here, so I'm excited about what the future holds. Right now, it's just about getting ready for camp and just keeping the blinders on and keeping the focus on the next task."
Schaub knows it's not the best time to talk about his contract when he's coming off a serious injury. (He hasn't fully practiced all offseason because of his foot injury, but he should be 100 percent in time for camp.)
He also knows that tackle Duane Brown and linebacker Connor Barwin might be ahead of him in line for a contract. They won a playoff game without him. The team hasn't talked to Schaub about a new deal.
Because of the injury and the presence of T.J. Yates, Schaub knows he's not only playing for a playoff berth this year. He's playing for a contract.
If he stays healthy and performs like he did in 2009 to 2010, he'll get paid.