When non-contact knee injuries happen, typically a significant amount of torque or tension is applied to the ACL, causing it to snap. For Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, that wasn’t the case.
Appearing on Friday’s edition of the PFT PM podcast, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson explained what happened when Watson was injured at practice on Thursday.
“Just a normal read-option,” Jackson said. “He kind of kept it and he was just kind of running. I mean, he wasn’t 100-percent full speed. He was just kind of trotting and went down. We didn’t think nothing of it because it didn’t look serious. But for your quarterback to go down, everybody kind of hesitates to make sure he’s all right. He got up with his usual smile on his face, so everybody kind of thought everything was OK.”
Jackson made it clear that there was nothing unusual about the play.
“It just happened,” he said. “No jump cut, no nothing. It just happened, just happened. It was one of those freak accidents. It just happened.”
Jackson said that he believed Watson’s departure from practice was believed to be precautionary, and that it was a shock to learn that he had torn an ACL.
“Because I saw how it happened, I was like, ‘Man, it’s got to be a joke,’” Jackson said. “Because it was nothing at all. He was just kind of trotting and he just kind of went down. And even when he went down, no one thought anything of it.”
It’s a stark reminder of how quickly things can change, for any team at any time. For the Texans, the challenge now becomes finding a way to compete without the most dynamic and impressive young player the NFL has seen in a long time.