It’s been a very emotional week for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Over the weekend, Watson received a four-year, $160 million contract extension, the second-highest in NFL history behind Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes. When he spoke to reporters about the contract, Watson said he broke down when his family called to congratulate him.
“I’ve been crying a little bit — a lot of bit, really,” the 24-year old quarterback said via PEOPLE. “It’s just — an amazing moment, for me to be able to extend my career in a location, in a place, in a home, I would say, that my family loves, that I love, that I want to continue to dive into the community most of all, and just continue to build my legacy, just build our legacy as a whole and do something that we’ve never done before.”
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View this post on InstagramIt’s a journey and @deshaunwatson didn’t get there without the help and support of others!
Watson then said the contract is “life-changing” but it also shows how committed the Texans are to him. “The money is amazing. It’s life-changing. It’s great. But the biggest thing is for the McNair family, OB [head coach Bill O’Brien], Jack [Easterby], to just trust in me and believe in me, that I’m their guy, I’m their quarterback.” Watson added. When the deal was announced. Watson went to social media to send a message to his fans.
“As a child growing up in Georgia, it was always my dream to play in the NFL,” he wrote. “Today, I couldn’t be more honored and humbled to sign a long-term deal in Houston, the city that I’ve grown to love so much and now call my home,” Watson then thanked his mother who has “been my rock and showed me anything is possible. She instilled in me at an early age that no matter the circumstances and obstacles you must endure and keep going.”
Watson will be making an average salary of $40 million per season. And while he doesn’t have the same type of success as Mahomes, he is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Since being drafted by the Texans in 2017, Watson has made the Pro Bowl twice and has led the team to the playoffs the last two seasons. In 2019, Watson threw for 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 413 yards and seven scores.
