The Texans worked out five quarterbacks at the Methodist Training Center on Monday after last week's potentially season-ending foot injury to starter Matt Schaub.
Trying out were veterans Jeff Garcia, Trent Edwards, Brodie Croyle and Kellen Clemens, along with former Rice quarterback Chase Clement.
"We very well could (sign a quarterback)," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said on Monday. "I think it's probably important because you never know. You get in a situation where you lose another guy, you better be grooming somebody. We got a big workout today… It doesn't mean we'll sign one of those guys, but yeah, I think it's probably important here at some point."
Garcia, 41, played for the Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL in 2010. A four-time Pro Bowler, he played for Texans quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders.
Edwards, a third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2007, spent last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Clemens was a second-round pick of the New York Jets in 2006, the same year Croyle was drafted in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Clement, who went undrafted in 2009, was named MVP of the UFL Championship Game in 2010 after leading the Las Vegas Locomotives to the league title.
Matt Leinart and rookie T.J. Yates are the only two healthy quarterbacks on the Texans' roster. Schaub watched Monday's practice in a walking boot. He will fly to Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday for an evaluation on Wednesday morning. Kubiak said the Texans are keeping their fingers crossed that Schaub won't have to be placed on injured reserve.
Leinart took his first practice as the Texans' starting quarterback on Monday.
"It was good," Kubiak said. "Matt practiced good. T.J. practiced good. Just trying to get a ton of reps and get everybody back on their feet.
"You see the opportunity he's (Leinart) got. You can see the fire in his eyes, so to speak, what's fixing to come up. What a great opportunity for him in his career. He'll give us everything he's got; I know that."
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