The Houston Texans delivered on recent projections and brought in Mark Gronowski.
“#Texans signing former #Dolphins @HawkeyeFootball @GoJacksSDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski to practice squad, per a league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on September 7.
“Former East-West Shrine Bowl offensive MVP, FCS All-American, Walter Payton award winner. Passed for 12,049 career yards, 103 touchdowns, 27 interceptions.”
“Gronowski is an athletic passer with field-reading skills and plenty of tools, but he hasn’t shown the passing precision required to beat NFL speed with his arm,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in his “The Beast” draft guide. “He has the play personality and makeup to compete for a backup role — especially given his physicality in short yardage — or even on special teams.
Texans Add QB Mark Gronowski in Latest Roster Move
Gronowski was part of the Dolphins’ roster cuts at the deadline for teams to trim down to 53 players for the regular season. He joins a Texans team that does not need a starter, but a reliable (relatively, of course) third option behind starter C.J. Stroud and backup Davis Mills.
Gronowski, who Pro Football Reference lists at 6-foot-2 and 226 pounds, can be that.
“There’s no doubt that Gronowski’s underwhelming stats in 2025 played a role in his current draft stock. After totaling five-figure passing yard totals and over 100 touchdowns at the FBS level, Gronowski finished 105th in passing and had the 106th-most passing touchdowns in the FBS this past season,” Iowa Hawkeyes On SI’s Mitchell Corcoran wrote in April. “There are concerns about Gronowski’s awkward throwing motion, accuracy issues, speed, and ball security. Add in the fact that he will be 25-years-old by the start of the NFL season and has a serious knee injury as part of his history, and this projection seems more fitting.
“Gronowski has the accolades, toughness, leadership skills, intelligence, and frame to warrant a draft selection, but it will ultimately have come down to a team deciding that the pros outweigh the cons if he’s to be drafted.”
Mark Gronowski Has Former Texans Ties
Gronowski was not drafted, but he still has the same traits. Moreover, the Texans lost 2025 sixth-round pick Graham Mertz to a torn ACL during the preseason.
Mertz’s initial replacement, veteran journeyman Brett Rypien, struggled in his brief tenure.
The Texans cut Rypien at the deadline, and the expectation ever since has been that they would replace Rypien (and Mertz, again) on the practice squad roster. Still, they are in a precarious spot if something happens to Stroud or Mills early.
Notably, Gronowski played for former Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik during his brief stay with the Dolphins.
Texans Sign ‘Athletic’ 6-Foot-2, 226-Pound Former Dolphins Quarterback