One of the NFL’s most electrifying rookies may be out for the rest of the year. Word came down on Thursday afternoon that the Houston Texans’ star rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a torn ACL during practice.
Watson reportedly went down with a non-contact injury during a drill, and now, the Texans are in a position where they will start Tom Savage — who was benched for Watson during the team’s Week 1 matchup — and for now will sign journeyman signal-caller Matt McGloin, who played for coach Bill O’Brien at Penn State. Watching anyone go down with a season-ending injury is brutal, but watching Watson get sidelined really stings. He was one of the league’s brightest young stars and was establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.
This sentiment was shared by players across the league, a number of whom took to Twitter to wish Watson well after he went down.
https://twitter.com/JJWatt/status/926209339345592321
https://twitter.com/teddyb_h2o/status/926206721470730242
Keep your head up young legend. Prayers up 🙏🏿 @deshaunwatson https://t.co/JqWnPVf5t8
— Patrick Peterson /P2 (@P2) November 2, 2017
Prayers up @deshaunwatson 🙏🏾 God has a plan for you stay up my bro pic.twitter.com/vIEyTKox4Y
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) November 2, 2017
Damn man… hurting for you bro. @deshaunwatson … it's a long journey but you're a champion. Never waiver!
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) November 2, 2017
Nooooo 🤦🏾♂️ Lord please heal him this is crazy! @deshaunwatson https://t.co/OhRpRMpgbw
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) November 2, 2017
Prayers up for Lil bro @deshaunwatson 🙏🏾 God got you & has something BIG in store for you
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) November 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/TheSupremeTaco/status/926204812202577920
Prayers up for @deshaunwatson
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) November 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/D_FUNCH/status/926193964297936898
Unsurprisingly, a number of Watson’s former teammates at Clemson were devastated.
He will be back better than ever 🙏🏾 #DW4
— Mike Williams (@darealmike_dub) November 2, 2017
Prayers up for my bro, come back stronger than ever! @deshaunwatson pic.twitter.com/HaGz8Lo5FR
— Vic Beasley (@VicBeasley3) November 2, 2017
Prayers up to my bro @deshaunwatson , god got you… 🙏🏾
— Wayne Gallman II (@waynegallman) November 2, 2017
Seven games into his NFL career, Watson had thrown for 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was completing 61.8 percent of his passes and threw for 1,699 yards. Included in that were three games with at least four touchdowns (including a five touchdown, zero interception performance against Kansas City). Watson was the Texans’ second-leading rusher, running for 269 yards on 36 carries with a pair of scores and his 7.5 yards per carry led the team. Despite it ending in a loss, his performance against the Seahawks this past Sunday was one of the most entertaining of the season.
