Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson passed on the friendly skies in favor of the open road when it came time to travel to Jacksonville for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars.
Watson rode a bus with two members of the team’s training staff because of concerns about how the cabin pressure on an airplane might affect his chest injury.
Due to concerns about how cabin pressure might affect his lungs as he continues to recover from a chest injury that includes his ribs, sternum and lungs, Watson traveled separately from his teammates. He was accompanied by strength and conditioning coach Luke Richesson and assistant trainer Uriah Myrie and said after Sunday’s win that he watched film as they made their way to Florida.
“It was smooth,” Watson said, via the Houston Chronicle. “We just kind of hung out. I was cool with it. Whatever it took for me to be here with my teammates and do what I do.”
Watson was 12-of-24 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown in the 20-7 win. He was sacked once and hit five times, both of which were lower than the averages for the first six weeks of the season. That left Watson feeling “a lot better” when all was said and done in Jacksonville.