Deshaun Watson will be with the Houston Texans through the 2025 NFL season.
Deshaun Watson makes bank, as the Houston Texans paid their franchise quarterback big time.
According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, “Texans have agreed on a 4-year extension with Deshaun Watson averaging $39 million a year with a $27 million signing bonus.” It will be for $160 million through the life of it with nearly $111 million fully guaranteed. Watson will be the highest paid player in the NFL during the length of his four-year extension. What a get for him!
Can the Texans win the Super Bowl with Deshaun Watson as their quarterback?
Prior to drafting Watson No. 12 overall out of Clemson in the 2017 NFL Draft, the closest thing the Texans had to a franchise quarterback was Matt Schaub. Drafting David Carr No. 1 overall out of Fresno State back in 2002 didn’t work out, as the Texans were in quarterbacking limbo until they drafted the Clemson Tigers legend. Now he’s under contract through 2025 with the Texans.
Watson will be in his prime during the life of this four-year extension. With every passing year, it will be devalued with guys like Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens and Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals slated for big extensions down the line. At his best, Watson is a borderline top-five passer in the NFL today, which is certainly good enough to contend for Super Bowls.
Even though the Texans are the youngest team in the NFL, not even 20 years old as a franchise, they are the only organization to never play in a conference championship to date. All three of their division rivals have played in the AFC Championship game at least once in the last seven years. Though it may not happen in 2020, that is what will be required of Watson on this Texans contract.
Houston needs him to be an MVP-level player at least once during this four-year contract extension. If the Texans don’t play for the right to go to the Super Bowl at least once before 2025, it would be an embarrassing failure for all involved. Winning a Super Bowl is within in reach, but Watson and the Texans play in the same AFC with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Then again, Watson did quarterback Dabo Swinney’s Clemson program to heights the Tigers hadn’t experienced since the peak Danny Ford days in the early 1980s. He brought little old Clemson to the College Football Playoff and won the school’s second-ever national title in 2016. Look for him to take the Texans franchise further than they’ve ever gone before.
Unless Watson is the new Philip Rivers, he will get the Texans to the Super Bowl before he’s 30.