Wideout DeAndre Hopkins is in Tom Savage's corner - not fellow Clemson alum Deshaun Watson - as far as the Houston Texans' quarterback competition goes.
"If anybody should be a judge of quarterbacks, I've played with the most quarterbacks in NFL history throughout my first four years," Hopkins said Friday, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano. "So I put the stamp on Savage, and I think that's all that needs to be said about that."
Savage is attempting to hold off Watson, a player the Texans invested two first-round picks to acquire. It is inevitable that Watson will eventually start for the team.
But Savage is trying to delay that time. The 27-year-old was mildly impressive after taking the starting job from Brock Osweiler late last season, but was injured and ceded the starting job back to Osweiler for the Texans' brief playoff run.
Despite their limited time playing together, Hopkins said he knows Savage can help the Texans win.
"I've played with at least 10 quarterbacks," Hopkins said. "So because of what (Savage) does well, and what he can do for this team, I know he can help us win what we want to win. He does everything well. He's a student of the game, from just being on the bench, watching and learning from other people's mistakes, seeing what they've done wrong. He can put the ball in any place. He has a strong arm. He has a knowledge of this offense. He's been in this offense his whole career."
Hopkins is seeking a new contract, so it's possible he has an ulterior motive when choosing which quarterback he thinks is best. While Watson might be best in the long term, it's likely Savage will do the most to inflate Hopkins' stats in the short term.
