Houston Texans Yates was selected with the 152nd pick (fifth round) of the
2011 NFL draft by the
Houston Texans. He first saw action in a November 27, 2011, game against the
Jacksonville Jaguars when quarterback
Matt Leinart left the game with a
collarbone injury, throwing 8-of-15 for 70 yards and a fumble. Yates made his first career start in the next game against the
Atlanta Falcons, throwing 12-of-25 for 188 yards and a touchdown. Yates also became the first former
University of North Carolina player to start an
NFL game at quarterback. Yates started his second game on December 11 against the
Cincinnati Bengals. Yates completed 26-of-44 passes for 300 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception and helped lead the Texans to their tenth win, clinching a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history. For his performance in the Bengals game he was named the
Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. On January 7, 2012, in the
Wild Card Round, Yates led the Texans to their first ever playoff win with the score of 31–10 over the
Cincinnati Bengals (the same team Yates and the Texans beat to clinch their first ever playoff berth), becoming the fifth rookie quarterback to win a playoff game after finishing the game with 11 completed passes out of 20 attempted passes for a passer rating of 97.7 along with a 40-yard touchdown to
Andre Johnson and 159 passing yards. The game was the first playoff game in NFL history that had two rookie quarterbacks starting for their respective teams (
Andy Dalton was the other rookie). The Texans eventually lost to the
Baltimore Ravens in the
Divisional Round by a score of 20–13 after Yates completed 17 of 35 passes for 185 yards but also three interceptions and no touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 28.8. Yates began the 2012 season second on the depth chart, behind quarterback
Matt Schaub, but ahead of
John Beck and undrafted rookie
Case Keenum. He did not see much playing time in the 2012 season, finishing 4-of-10 for 38 yards and an interception while having one rushing touchdown, which occurred against the
New England Patriots in a 42–14 loss. Yates replaced Schaub against the
St. Louis Rams during the 2013 season, throwing two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Yates ended 2013 completing 15 of 22 passes for 113 yards and two interceptions, while also being third on the depth chart behind Schaub and Keenum.
Atlanta Falcons On June 18, 2014, Yates was traded to the
Atlanta Falcons in return for linebacker
Akeem Dent. On September 18, when the Falcons built a 49–0 lead against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Yates had his only playing time of the season, throwing 3-of-4 for 64 yards and one
interception. He was released by the Falcons on September 4, 2015, as part of their final roster cuts.
Houston Texans (second stint) Yates was signed by the Texans on October 27, 2015, after the team cut quarterback
Ryan Mallett. He was signed to serve as a backup to
Brian Hoyer. After Hoyer went out with an injury during a November 16 game against the
Cincinnati Bengals, Yates replaced him in the third quarter, and eventually won the game 10–6 over the Bengals. In the game, Yates completed 5 of 11 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. On December 20, Yates suffered a
torn ACL in a game versus the
Indianapolis Colts. The next day, Yates was placed on season-ending
injured reserve.
Miami Dolphins Yates was signed by the
Miami Dolphins on December 13, 2016, after a knee injury to
Ryan Tannehill. After starting quarterback
Matt Moore was hit hard by
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker
Bud Dupree in the AFC
Wild Card Round on January 8, 2017, Yates appeared for one snap but Moore then returned to the game.
Buffalo Bills Yates was signed by the
Buffalo Bills on April 10, 2017. He was placed on injured reserve on September 5, with a concussion. Yates was released by Buffalo on September 12, after agreeing to an injury settlement.
Houston Texans (third stint) On November 3, 2017, Yates signed with the Texans after a season-ending
ACL injury to starter
Deshaun Watson. Head coach
Bill O'Brien said that Yates would be the backup to
Tom Savage for the November 5 game against the
Indianapolis Colts. On December 10 against the
San Francisco 49ers, Yates entered the game late in the second quarter after Savage suffered a concussion. Yates completed 14-of-26 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans lost by a score of 26–16. Due to Savage's injury, Yates started the final three games of the season. In Week 15, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars, he finished 12-of-31 for 128 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 45–7 loss. On Christmas Day, against the
Pittsburgh Steelers, he finished with 83 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the 34–6 loss. In the regular season finale, in the second divisional game against the Indianapolis Colts, he finished with 137 passing yards and an interception in the 22–13 loss. ==Coaching career==