HOUSTON -- If the Houston Texans had even a shred of doubt over the magnitude of their needs at the quarterback position, they can have none now. Brian Hoyer's five-turnover debacle in a 30-0 wild-card playoff defeat to Kansas City was bad enough to make exiled Houston starters Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett, Case Keenum and Matt Schaub seem alluring by comparison.
None of the avenues available to Houston are likely to transform the organization overnight, but an early look at the potential options is an appropriate way to kick off this Texans offseason. Here are some options:
1. Determine whether Christian Hackenberg is worth a first-round pick
Texans coach Bill O'Brien recruited Hackenberg to Penn State, so he should know as well as anyone whether Hackenberg could succeed in his offense at the NFL level. Hackenberg's stock has suffered since O'Brien left Penn State for the Texans before the 2014 season. Could a reunion help both men?
The Texans passed over Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr when they were picking second in the 2014 draft order. Their first-round pick will be in the 20s this year. Hackenberg, Connor Cook and Carson Wentz could be options, although it's tough to project this far out. Few expected Bortles to go third overall in 2014.
The sick feeling teams experience when operating without a viable quarterback can lead them to overvalue prospects in the draft. The Texans could become one of those teams this year, but at least it would come with familiarity for the coach and player.
2. Investigate Colin Kaepernick's availability
The San Francisco 49ers' former and perhaps future starter faces an uncertain future with the organization. I would expect the 49ers to lean toward bringing back Kaepernick as one of their options. They don't need the salary-cap room that would open up if they traded or released Kaepernick by April 1. They do not have a better alternative on the roster. But if the 49ers do decide to start over at quarterback, the Texans would make sense as one option for Kaepernick.
The 49ers won with him when they had a top-five defense to keep games close. Houston has that type of defensive potential. The Texans do not have the offensive line, running backs or tight ends San Francisco possessed during Kaepernick's productive years with the team, but receiver DeAndre Hopkins has shown he can make just about any quarterback look good for stretches.
Would the Texans tweak their offense for Kaepernick? O'Brien's history with New England could make him more apt to make changes. The Patriots have long favored week-to-week flexibility in game planning to keep the approach static. O'Brien believes in that philosophy and it's the only way to go. If Chiefs coach Andy Reid can incorporate college spread concepts into his traditional West Coast system, the Texans could certainly adjust for Kaepernick.
3. Spend for Sam Bradford in free agency
The Philadelphia Eagles might not let Bradford reach free agency. They could use the franchise tag to keep him or they could sign him to a new contract. If Bradford does reach the market, he will almost surely be more talented than any option in the veteran pool. Bradford has never produced at a high level consistently. His injury history is troubling. But after watching Hoyer against the Chiefs, a future with Bradford appears much more hopeful.
Bradford completed 68.2 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and four interceptions in his final seven appearances this season. He had a 97.0 passer rating. His 55.0 Total QBR in those games -- a period dating to the start of Week 9 -- ranked 17th out of 31 qualifying quarterbacks over that span. Hoyer was 25th at 47.7 over the same period.
The primary appeal to Bradford lies not in those stats but in his potential as a starter relative to Hoyer's future as a likely backup.
4. Go the journeyman route again
In looking at all the available options, it's important to remember that change for the sake of change does not guarantee improvement. The Texans were eager to move on from Fitzpatrick after last season. Tennessee, Buffalo and St. Louis moved on from Fitzpatrick previously. All wanted to get better, but none of those teams upgraded at quarterback in the short term after parting with Fitzpatrick. The Rams and Texans would be better off with him yet.
Hoyer's numbers during the 2015 regular season were not terrible. He completed 60.7 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had a 91.4 passer rating and 59.6 QBR score. Jay Cutler, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan were in that statistical ballpark. Hoyer played in only 11 games, and he obviously does not possess the talent or pedigree of those players.
But the reality for Houston is that Hoyer is their new Fitzpatrick. Texans fans will surely want to move on from him, but what is Plan B?