Names like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees should sound pretty familiar to the casual fan. Why shouldn’t they? They are four of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. However, if you mention the name of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub to a casual football fan, they might give you a confused look. If this is the case, you shouldn’t be surprised, as Schaub is one of the most underrated players in the NFL.

Matt Schaub was part of the quarterback-rich draft class of 2004. The Atlanta Falcons selected him with the 90th pick in the third round. He played in six games for the Falcons during his rookie season and was used primarily as a second quarterback and as a starter for field goals and extra points.

He would get his first career start during the 2005 season when the Falcons faced the New England Patriots. He would go on to have a great game after throwing for 298 yards and three touchdowns, but they would lose the game with the final score of 31-28. Schaub was still used primarily as an extra point and field goal starter during his tenure with the Falcons. In 2007, he was traded to the Houston Texans.

This would prove to be a beneficial trade for Schaub, as the Texans also released disappointing quarterback David Carr on the same day. This opened the door for Schaub to become the team’s long-term starter. Schaub would prove his worth to the Texans by amassing 220 passing yards and a 70% completion rate during the first two games of the 2007 season.

Schaub has helped the team improve significantly since getting the Texans’ starting position. The franchise would have its most successful season to date in 2011 when Schaub helped guide them to a 7-3 start after 10 weeks. He but he would get injured during the regular season and be replaced by backup Matt Leinart.

But even though the Texans would be eliminated from the second round of the 2011 playoffs, many fans had already come to love and respect Schaub’s game. He may not be in the same league as Peyton, Rodgers, Brady or Brees, but he’s definitely shown that he’s not your average quarterback who really belongs in the NFL.