The Houston Texans' 2025 mandatory minicamp is officially underway after organized team activities (OTAs) wrapped up last week. OTAs were the perfect opportunity for bubble players to gain momentum ahead of minicamp, leaving time to tell if they can further parlay that success into July to start training camp with a bang.
With that being said, not every Texan's outlook is the same after the OTA practices. While some veterans and rookies' stock has never been higher this spring, one Houston quarterback is clearly heading into the offseason's next phase on thin ice.
Texans QB Kedon Slovis is on Thin Ice After OTAs
The majority of NFL teams operate with three quarterbacks on their roster, and the Texans currently have four, meaning someone will have to be the odd man out.
Even though his offseason has been marred by injury, C.J. Stroud is still Houston's QB of the present and future, meaning he isn't going anywhere. Davis Mills will likely be the Texans' QB2 due to his experience in head coach DeMeco Ryans' system, while it's hard to imagine the team parting ways with rookie Graham Mertz after he was drafted 197th overall in April.
After doing a little bit of math based on the above components, second-year gunslinger Kedon Slovis is the obvious choice to be booted from the mix.
Slovis, 24, is a former BYU quarterback who joined the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent last offseason. His time with the Texans' AFC South rival didn't last long, though, as he was one of the Colts' last roster cuts before the season began, leading to his spending the 2024 campaign on Houston's practice squad.
Much to his dismay, Slovis didn't see any playing opportunities behind Stroud and Mills. The Texans did re-sign the Scottsdale, AZ native to a future/reserve contract in January; however, it's clear they don't have much faith in Slovis, or else they wouldn't have used a draft pick on Mertz, who might have more upside than the former UDFA QB.
Considering how there weren't any rave reviews regarding his OTA performance, it's safe to say Slovis hasn't done much to impress the Texans' coaching staff this offseason. Assuming his minicamp play is similar, Houston could look to move on from Slovis before June is even over, especially with Spotrac showing that his entire $840,000 salary would come off the books with a cut/trade.
Throw in the fact that he arrived in town as an afterthought, and it's even harder to imagine Slovis lasting much longer with the Texans. He'll likely have to look to continue his NFL career elsewhere if he can't find a way to jump ahead in the depth chart soon.