Houston Texans know that they have a special player in quarterback Deshaun Watson, so it isn’t surprising that they want to tie him to the organization for the foreseeable future. Watson became eligible for an extension this year, and according to Texans’ coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, the team is currently “working hard” to make that happen.
Watson has two more years left on his rookie deal, which pays him $3.8 million in 2019 and $4.4 million in 2020. But Texans want to act early, opening the preliminary talks with player’s representatives in April.
“Deshaun is a great player, an even better person, and we want him here for a long time,” O’Brien said about negotiations with Watson on Thursday. “… I know that we’re working hard. We’re not going to really talk about it in the media, but obviously, we feel so strongly about him and the future of him in this offense, in this organization, and we want him here for a long time.”
Any kind of extension will probably see Deshaun Watson becoming one of the highest-paid players in football. Watson made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two years while also leading the Texans to consecutive playoff appearances.
The reports predict that Watson could get a yearly salary of around $35 million with the extension, which would see him being in the top three earners in the NFL. The highest-paid player in football is currently Kansas City Chiefs’ QB Patrick Mahomes, who recently signed a 10-year, $503 million deal, which guarantees him $45 million a year.
