Texans' Heinicke makes brief NFL debut before Yates cleared from concussion

Taylor Heinicke briefly replaced T.J. Yates at quarterback for the Houston Texans against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday while the latter was evaluated for a concussion.

Yates left the game late in the second quarter after taking a sack, allowing Heinicke to play his first career snap before halftime. Heinicke started the second half and played one series before Yates cleared the concussion protocol.

Heinicke, the fourth quarterback to play for the Texans in 2017, arguably outperformed Yates in his short time under center, as he went 1-of-1 passing with a 10-yard completion, while the veteran quarterback recorded just 8 yards with one interception across the entire first half.

Unfortunately for Heinicke - who was signed off the Texans' practice squad Dec. 15 - his NFL debut was short-lived. He was ruled out of the game with a concussion of his own after the second half's opening series.

After being cleared, Yates returned to the game as Houston's quarterback.