How about a little history to spice up Saturday’s AFC wild-card playoff game?

Rookie quarterback Connor Cook will start for the Raiders, two sources said Tuesday, making him the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to make his first career start in a playoff game. Oakland plays at Houston in its first postseason appearance in 14 years.

Matt McGloin — playing in relief of Derek Carr, who broke his leg in a Christmas Eve game — was forced to the sideline with a sore shoulder near the end of the first half of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Broncos. That opened the door for Cook, who — as the Raiders’ third QB in nine days — threw a touchdown pass in his first NFL action.

Earlier Tuesday, the Texans addressed their quarterback situation by announcing that Brock Osweiler will start for them. The former Bronco, who signed a four-year, $72 million free-agent deal with Houston in the offseason, had been benched for Tom Savage, but Savage suffered a concussion last week.

Raiders teammates are excited about Cook, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan State.

“I can’t wait to see him play this week,” receiver Michael Crabtree said before Tuesday’s practice. “I can’t wait to get to practice and do what we gotta do. Whoever they got up, that’s who I am rolling with.”

The Raiders moved their walk-through practice away from their team facility Tuesday, and reporters weren’t given access, but the team may make the formal announcement of its starting quarterback Wednesday. Whenever they do, it will be Cook.

McGloin’s shoulder is sore, but it sounds as if this was a decision based more on production and potential than health. McGloin is 1-6 as a starter in his four years with Oakland, and struggled before getting hurt Sunday, completing 6 of 11 passes for 21 yards and missing a wide-open Amari Cooper on a deep pass. He will be a free agent next month.

Cook completed 14 of 21 passes for 150 yards and a touchdown with an interception and a lost fumble in a little more than a half in the 24-6 loss to the Broncos.

“I was impressed,” Crabtree said. “His composure, the way he was playing, he was smooth out there. For the first time to be out there, in a crucial situation, that’s big.”

Cook got off to a rocky start at training camp, but teammates have seen improvement since then.

“He’s stayed after practice, worked hard and really grown,” running back Latavius Murray said. “That’s all you can ask.”

Crabtree has kept a close eye on Cook. As the team’s emergency quarterback, Crabtree sometimes sits in on the position meetings.

“I have seen him grow since the first day he got here,” Crabtree said. “You know, I am always with the quarterbacks, talking to them, because if anyone goes down, I’m about to be a quarterback.

“There are only two quarterbacks suited, so one goes down and that’s when the panic starts.”

Head coach Jack Del Rio said Cook was “solid” on Sunday, while cringing at the rookie’s two turnovers. Last week, Del Rio talked about what he has seen in the Cook this season.

“Connor has done a nice job,” Del Rio said. “He’s done a nice job all year with the work he gets and the attention to detail. I think he’s really matured, become more comfortable in what we’re asking him to do. The ball comes out of his hand nice. I think all the signs are real positive for Connor as we go forward.”

Cook dropped in a nice 32-yard touchdown pass to Cooper and stood his ground in the pocket.

“He’s tall,” Cooper said of the 6-foot-4 23-year-old. “He can see the field.”

Carr was also impressed, watching from his couch. Especially since he said he requires “99.9 percent” of the snaps in practice all year.

“That’s his first real action, so the game is going to be 10 times faster than it will be two years from now,” Carr told 95.7 FM on Tuesday. “I thought when Connor went in there, he played with great poise.

“And he had that coming out. So I knew he would play with great poise. I thought he did a great job.”

Joseph returning: Raiders rookie safety Karl Joseph told reporters that he's playing this week after missing the past four games with a toe injury. Nate Allen, who started those four games, suffered a concussion Sunday and is undergoing tests in the league’s concussion protocol.

Vic Tafur is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vtafur@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VicTafur