The Houston Texans are adding another arm to the room just days before Week 1, and this one comes with a resume built on winning.
According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, Houston is signing former Miami Dolphins quarterback Mark Gronkowski to the practice squad. That gives the Texans a third quarterback in the building alongside starter C.J. Stroud and backup Davis Mills.
The move comes after Houston spent the stretch following roster cuts with only two quarterbacks available across the roster and practice squad. Graham Mertz was supposed to be the team’s third quarterback, but he tore his ACL in Houston’s first preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Texans then brought in veteran Brett Rypien, who appeared in the final two preseason games before getting cut.
So when the Texans went looking for another option, they ended up with Gronkowski - an undrafted free agent who spent four years at South Dakota State before his 2025 transfer to Iowa.
What jumps off the page with Gronkowski is the production. He is the all-time NCAA leader across all levels for total quarterback wins in a career, piling up 58 victories between South Dakota State and Iowa. He also finished his college career with a 63.7% completion rate, more than 12,000 total yards, 103 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
He brings plenty on the ground, too. Gronkowski logged more than 500 carries for 2,312 yards and 53 rushing touchdowns, giving Houston a dual-threat quarterback at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds who can work both as a passer and a runner.
Before landing in Houston, Gronkowski had been on the Dolphins’ 90-man roster. He didn’t see much preseason action before being released, though he did get his most work in the third week against the Atlanta Falcons, when he completed four of eight passes for 97 yards and added four carries for 28 yards.
That showing, along with his camp work, wasn’t enough to get him onto Miami’s 53-man roster. But Houston liked enough of what it saw to bring him in as one of its 16 practice squad players.
For now, Gronkowski is expected to stay there unless the Texans need to make another quarterback move. Houston appears comfortable opening the season with Stroud and Mills handling the active roster, but the position has a way of changing quickly. Last season, Stroud missed three games after suffering a concussion in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, a reminder that extra depth is never a bad thing.
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