Who has a good chance to be the Houston Texans’ most valuable player in 2021?
There don’t seem to be as many household names as there were even a year ago. With the Texans in rebuild mode following a 4-12 collapse in 2020, and the situation with three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Texans may not have a clear cut candidate.
According to Dan Hanzus from NFL.com, the best candidate for team MVP for the Texans in 2021 is running back David Johnson.
Deshaun Watson is in career limbo, and the troubling allegations in his legal predicament emerged after he demanded a trade out of Houston. None of it seems to point to the star quarterback playing another snap for the Texans, which all but guarantees a painful transition year under first-year coach David Culley. Who will be the MVP of this bewildering team in 2021? It won’t be Watson … or J.J. Watt … or DeAndre Hopkins … or Will Fuller. I’m throwing out David Johnson as the most likely candidate simply because Houston should run the ball a ton — returning offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has told reporters he wants to improve upon the team’s comically poor run-pass balance — and Johnson is the most likely player to emerge out of a crowded backfield that also includes Mark Ingram, Phillip Lindsay and Rex Burkhead. Yeah, I’m probably wrong here … but who’s your pick?
Johnson did have the highest yards per carry of his career last year at 4.7, although he played in 12 games and took 147 carries, the third-most in his career. Johnson also scored six rushing touchdowns, the third-fewest of his career. The 29-year-old former All-Pro is a mixed bag with regards to what he will be in 2021.
What Johnson is bringing to the Texans through the offseason workouts is chemistry with his teammates in the locker room.
“David’s been in the league for a while and has had a lot of success at what he does, running and receiving,” running back Phillip Lindsay told reporters on June 9. “Really good dude off the field. I’ve never really talked to David until I got to Houston. The personality in him, he’s a positive dude and works his butt off.”
If Johnson can help the Texans develop cohesion and establish a better culture, it may help Houston beyond the 2021 campaign.