The Houston Texans shelled out a huge sum of money on Friday to assure they can protect Deshaun Watson’s blind side for years to come, and they may now turn their attention toward signing the franchise quarterback to a new deal.
With Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil having agreed to a record extension with the Texans, ESPN’s Ed Werder reports that Watson’s contract is the next priority for the team. Watson and the Texans have had “preliminary” discussions about a new deal, and they hope to reach an agreement before the start of the 2020 season.
Source: The #Texans have engaged in “very preliminary“ discussions with QB Deshaun Watson on a potential contract extension. With Laremy Tunsil’s contract complete, Watson is the next priority. The is team hoping to reach an agreement before the start of the season.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) April 24, 2020
Watson’s base salary for next season is just over $1 million, and he also has a team option on his contract for 2021. That fifth-year option will obviously be exercised by the Texans if needed, but they are hoping to sign Watson to a long-term extension before it comes into play.
Both Watson and Patrick Mahomes were drafted in 2017, and this is the first offseason they are eligible to sign extensions. Whoever signs his contract first will almost certainly set the record for the richest deal in NFL history, with the second likely surpassing the first by a small margin. We’ve heard some insane numbers being thrown around for a potential Mahomes extension, and Watson’s camp will be keeping a close eye on the Kansas City Chiefs to see if they are closing in on a deal with the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
Watson’s rookie year with Houston was cut short by a torn ACL, but he has missed just one game since. He threw for 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.
