Despite Tyrod Taylor suffering a hamstring injury that will knock him out of Thursday's matchup against the Carolina Panthers, the Houston Texans will not turn to Deshaun Watson.
Coach David Culley confirmed Monday morning that Watson would remain inactive, as he has through the first two weeks of the season, and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Taylor's hamstring injury would keep him out "for a while."
Pelissero added that a stint on injured reserve could still be in play.
Watson is facing 22 civil lawsuits filed in March and April alleging sexual assault and misconduct during massage sessions. The NFL is conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter.
After an impressive start to his season, Taylor pulled up lame on a touchdown run in the second quarter. Rookie Davis Mills took over in the second half of Houston's 31-21 loss to Cleveland.
Though Texans head coach David Culley expressed optimism earlier Monday, Taylor was never expected to suit up on the short week.
Mills, a third-round pick out of Stanford, is in line for the start. The rookie completed 8 of 18 passes for 102 yards with a TD toss and an INT in Sunday's loss. Facing a menacing Panthers defense that has destroyed QBs through the first two weeks, it's a tall task for the rookie on a short week.
Jeff Driskel is on the Texans practice squad and will likely be the backup, assuming Taylor can't play. Culley noted that if Mills were hurt in Sunday's game, the Texans would have turned to the Wild Cat run by Mark Ingram.
