| Schaub's clear to play for Houston in 2012. (US Presswire) |
In 2011, the Texans were somehow able to overcome a serious foot injury to quarterback Matt Schaub and make the playoffs. They'd prefer not to do that again in 2012. So they're probably excited (or, reportedly excited) that Schaub's been given the "green light" to return to training camp.
That's according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, who reports that Schaub's been cleared of his Lisfranc injury by Dr. Robert Anderson, a foot specialist in North Carolina.
Schaub suffered the injury in Week 10's 37-9 victory over Tampa Bay and was replaced by Matt Leinart. Leinart lasted all of one series before suffering a season-ending injury and having T.J. Yates take over. Yates led the Texans to their first playoff berth ... and their first playoff victory.
Making this more awkward is that Schaub is heading into a contract year without a new extension. He's said that he plans to be in Houston for "many years to come," but questions about his ability to stay healthy are primed to resurface now.
These questions were a big concern when Schaub started just 11 games in each of his first two seasons with the Texans after coming over in a trade from Atlanta. Back-to-back 16-start seasons with Houston -- not to mention 4,000-yard passing seasons -- seemed to answer those questions.
But the timing of his injury puts his status with the Texans under the spotlight, regardless of whether or not he's "the guy" for Houston. More than likely, he is.
The question probably isn't whether or not the Texans bring the 31-year-old back, but whether or not the Texans and Schaub can find common financial ground. In other words, if Schaub plays like he did in 2009 and 2010, he's probably looking at a pretty nice payday after this season.
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