It Wont Amount to Much (OPINION)

Ryan Mallett, the hulking quarterback from Texarkana, managed to get himself fired from a multimillion-dollar job with the Houston Texans.

Last month, he missed a team flight to Miami. He flew commercial instead, blaming the snafu on Houston traffic. His team didn’t buy it, and on Oct. 28, a headline appeared in the sports section: “Ex-Hog a Texan no more.”

Mallett’s troubles were numerous and well documented. They need not be rehashed here. But it’s worth broadly noting that his penchant for missteps was equal to his talent. An incident on Dickson Street while at the University of Arkansas. Late nights on fraternity row. A long slide in the 2011 draft. An alarm clock that mysteriously didn’t ring. And finally, that epic traffic jam in Houston.

Whether you’re a poultry plant worker, a convenience store clerk, a school teacher or a middle manager at Walmart, each job has standards that have to be met. Simple enough, and Mallett had ample opportunities to figure it out. Drafted in 2011 by the New England Patriots, for three years he shared the practice field and game days with Tom Brady, considered by many the greatest quarterback in league history. Talk about mentors.

But it didn’t stick. In 2014, the Patriots traded him to the Texans. And though he signed a two-year, $7 million deal last March and eventually became the starter, it didn’t amount to much. Statistically, and in terms of leadership, he was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. He soon found himself doing what he’d done in New England — sitting on the bench.

Mallett will probably end up with a new team. His arm is just too big and his ability too prodigious for him to sit at home for long. But until he learns how to do his job, his next chance won’t amount to much.