Why Deshaun Watson is worth every penny of his new contract

Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans agreed on a four-year contract extension. Here’s why he’s worth every penny.

To be clear, the news that Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans have come to terms on a contract extension is not exactly a surprise. Sure, Bill O’Brien has made some, shall we say interesting decisions in terms of roster construction over the past few months. Trading DeAndre Hopkins is atop that list. But after Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs reached their agreement, many believed Watson was next in line.

Ian Rapoport had the terms Saturday morning:

Watson’s journey from a highly-criticized draft prospect to this extension has been fascinating to unfold, and it highlights in a way the life cycle of a draft quarterback. Prior to his final season at Clemson, many viewed Watson as the clear top quarterback in the 2017 class. But then the games began, and as we see so often (we saw it last year with Trevor Lawrence and odds are, we will see it again) players are examined with a more critical eye. During that final year at Clemson, Watson threw a high number of interceptions – most of which came on throws outside the numbers – and it led to questions about his arm strength, and ability to function in an NFL offense.

Then, of course, there was the radar gun moment. I still remember that afternoon, in the wake of the Scouting Combine, when the ball velocity numbers from Indianapolis were posted. Watson clocked in at 47 miles per hour, and it led to a renewed discussion over his arm strength and who “no quarterback coming in under 50 mph had ever stuck in the NFL.”

But in between those events: The Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and the fall Clemson schedule, something else happened. Watson led his Tigers to a National Championship, defeating Alabama in the title game. Going up against a Nick Saban defense is the closest thing a quarterback can face to staring down an NFL secondary, given the fluidity of Saban’s coverage schemes, but stare them down he did.

And there was this moment:

On a third down midway through the third quarter, with the Tigers trailing by three, Watson escaped from the pocket and aimed his sights on the first-down marker. Standing in his way? Reuben Foster and Minkah Fitzpatrick, future first-round picks in their own right. Watson gave that run everything he had, but came up just short, after helicoptering himself into the two Alabama stars.

But he got right up.

A wise man once said that if you deny emotion in football you deny a big part of the game. Emotion – and competitive toughness – matters in football, and it matters at the quarterback position. We will get into what Watson brings as a quarterback in a moment, but he also brings competitive toughness. He brings leadership. When Watson walks into a huddle, all ten pairs of eyes stare back at him. They believe in him. But when a quarterback walks into a huddle and those ten pairs of eyes are looking at the turf, or their cleats, that is a lonely place for a QB.

And an ineffective offensive in the huddle.

After that moment, after Watson bounced right up? His sideline wanted to play for him. To win for him. And if you’re on the opposite sideline, you wonder what it is going to take to beat that guy. Consider what former Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen had to say about facing Watson:

Unfortunately, I hate to say it, but Deshaun Watson is probably the most mentally tough player I’ve ever played against. There’s no way around it. He’s by far the best player I’ve ever played. As much as I hate to say it, he’s the real deal. When I hear reporters say he’s a mid- or late-round guy, it blows my mind. I see him as a Top 5 pick. That’s just my personal opinion about it. He’s the real deal.

When you evaluate football players – and quarterbacks – that mental toughness matters. Watson checked that box and checked it in a big way.

But he still had to make the plays on the field.

Like this one:

Watson is a must-watch player, every single time the Houston Texans take the field. He combines the physical traits necessary to excel in today’s NFL as a quarterback – athleticism, accuracy and play strength – with the most important of the emotional traits, his competitive toughness. Sure, in the modern NFL athleticism matters a great deal. As we have seen in just the past few hours, quarterbacks who are not the most athletic might have a tough time sticking in the league (see Rosen, Josh). Watson certainly brings that to the table.

But it is his competitive toughness that makes Watson so special. It enables him to make plays like this, or to lead his team to special comeback victories. But it also enables him to improve himself from season-to-season. Remember that 47 mph number? That prompted many to question anew whether Watson could function in an NFL offense, and whether he could hit on the downfield throws asked of NFL quarterbacks.

Last year on throws of 20+ yards downfield, Watson posted an Adjusted Completion Percentage of 54.1.

Best in the NFL.

Watson is a special physical talent, and just as special a leader. That combination is worthy of an early draft pick – and a big second contract – every single time.