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The Ryan Finley era in Houston has ended before it even began.
Per NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Texans have released Finley.
The #Texans are releasing QB Ryan Finley, per me and @TomPelissero, on the heels of signing FA QB Jeff Driskel. Houston traded for Finley, but it was just a late-round pick swap. Now, an effective Finley/Driskel swap.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 24, 2021
On March 19th, the Texans traded a sixth-round to the Bengals in exchange for Finley and a seventh-round pick. The Bengals used that sixth-round pick to select running back Chris Evans.
Just two months later, it appears that Finley became expendable after the Texans signed Jeff Driskel, another former Bengals quarterback.
Finley, who will be a third-year player in 2021, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019. The team traded up to the top of the round to select Finley, who was already 24 years old at the time.
In eight games and four starts with the Bengals, Finley threw for 638 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions while completing just 49% of his passes. His most memorable performance was also his last, as he led the Bengals to a shocking upset victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 of the 2020 season. He did the majority of his work as a runner during that game, which is still wild to think about.
The Bengals currently have four quarterbacks on their roster, so a reunion with Finley at this time does not appear likely.