The Houston Texans are shuffling their quarterback room again, and this time the move brings Mark Gronowski from the practice squad onto the 53-man roster.
According to the Texans’ transaction log, Gronowski is being signed to the active roster heading into Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. It’s a quick rise for a quarterback who was only back in Houston for a short stint after starting the season elsewhere.
Gronowski first joined the Texans’ practice squad right before Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, coming off a waiver from the Miami Dolphins after originally signing there as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa. He spent two weeks on Houston’s practice squad, was released after Week 2, and now lands back with the Texans in a larger role than before.
What stands out most about Gronowski is the production he piled up in college before entering the NFL this season. He finished as the all-time NCAA leader across all levels in career quarterback wins with 58, split between South Dakota State and Iowa. Along the way, he posted a 63.7% completion rate, more than 12,000 total yards, 103 passing touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
He also brings real value on the ground. Gronowski ran the ball more than 500 times for 2,312 yards and 53 rushing touchdowns, giving Houston a true dual-threat option behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills.
That makes him QB3 on the 53-man roster now, filling a spot the Texans expected to have from the start. The team opened the season planning to carry Stroud, Mills and Graham Mertz, but those plans changed quickly when Mertz tore his ACL in the first preseason game against the LA Chargers and was ruled out for the year.
For the first four weeks, Houston operated with just Stroud and Mills in the quarterback room, a setup that is not unusual around the league. Still, teams always like having a third passer available as insurance, and that’s the role Gronowski now steps into.
He’ll likely be inactive most Sundays, continue working behind Stroud and Mills in practice, and wait for an opportunity only if injury forces the Texans’ hand. Even so, the move marks a clear step forward for Gronowski, who now finds himself on the active roster after beginning the month on the practice squad.
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