Deshaun Watson responds to radio host forecasting 'very short' career |
Former Clemson and current Houston Texans quarterback
Deshaun Watson gave a short and to-the-point response to a FOX Sports Radio host comment Tuesday.
FOX Sports Radio's Twitter account quoted a show host on its network Monday in Ben Maller as saying: "Deshaun Watson ain't gonna be around for very long. He's going to be destroyed and obliterated again because his body can’t handle the rigors of the NFL." Presumably filing it away mentally for some extra motivation, Watson offered a brief response: Lol Clown! https://t.co/9BfWrTt6Yo Watson has been hailed as ahead of schedule repeatedly in his second comeback from a torn ACL suffered in practice last November. Before the non-contact injury, Watson had led the NFL in passing touchdowns (19) and won AFC offensive player of the month. After suffering the same injury in his other knee at Clemson, Watson was a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy and a two-time winner of the Manning Award for the nation's top quarterback. He was the first FBS player to pass for over 4,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a season less than a year removed from the injury. Maller agreed with the assessment of Houston coaches not changing Watson's playing style after the injury, notably not reducing his running threat, but added the way Watson plays won't last long in the pros. "To me that's the right thing to do...Deshaun Watson, this is a boom or bust situation. He's not going to be around 15 years in the NFL," Maller said. "This is going to be a very exciting career but a very short career in the NFL. You can't cut back on Deshaun Watson and his ability to run the football. That's a major part of what makes Deshaun Watson an explosive player...They may want to look at drafting another quarterback in the near future to groom as the heir to Deshaun Watson because he ain't going to be around long... "He got hurt at Clemson. He got hurt in the NFL. Two major ACL injuries the last handful of years. So you just squeeze out all the juice out of the orange and realize that Deshaun Watson isn't going to be around for the longterm for the Houston Texans. That's what you've got to do." Houston coach Bill O'Brien told reporters in April that Watson has a sense for avoiding big hits. "He has a really good instinct for maybe gaining the 5 or 6 yards and then going down before he takes the shot," O'Brien said. "That's a big thing that young quarterbacks usually have a problem with. He seems to have an instinct for being able to stay out of harm's way." Watson practiced without a knee brace at OTAs according to reports on Tuesday, participating in individual and 7-on-7 drills. I’d say it’s a good sign to see Deshaun Watson practicing without a knee brace. Wouldn’t be allowed to do it if he wasn’t cleared to be on the field without it by the medical staff. Looked to participate in the same capacity as OTAs. Individuals, 7-7, no team participation. pic.twitter.com/6DaObpxyXs
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