Brandon Weeden has earned another shot in Houston after leading the Texans to a pair of key victories in the AFC South race last December.
The Texans re-signed Weeden, the team announced on Friday. The new deal is for $4 million over two years, NFL Media's Rand Getlin reported, via a source with direct knowledge of the contract.
Claimed off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys in mid-November, Weeden relieved an injured T.J. Yates in Week 15, tossing a touchdown to rookie Jaelen Strong to push the Texans past the Colts in a crucial battle for control of the division. A week later, he accounted for three touchdowns in a 34-6 rout over the Titans.
Weeden's re-signing is further evidence that the Texans and incumbent starting quarterback Brian Hoyer are headed for a divorce, as NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier this week. With Brock Osweiler entrenched as the QB1, Hoyer and Houston's brass are in lockstep with the idea that a fresh start is in order.
Weeden's contract numbers suggest he will back up Osweiler, with 2014 fourth-round pick Tom Savage remaining in the developmental role.
With four quarterbacks and gadget player B.J. Daniels under contract, interested teams are likely to await Hoyer's release rather than offering up a late-round draft pick. The sharks are circling, waiting for an experienced starting quarterback to be jettisoned.
