Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson didn’t play in 2021. So how good will he be, if/when he plays in 2022?
His long-time personal quarterback coach, Quincy Avery, addressed that issue in a podcast appearance on Monday. In propping up Watson, Avery also tore down Watson’s teammates from the 2020 season.
"[People] might have forgot that his last year in Houston, when he played, he was carrying like three guys who could have been working at your local Walmart at the receiver position and he went absolutely berserk,” Avery told Ryen Russillo, via the Houston Chronicle. “If he gets on a team with any sort of talent around him, somebody’s going to have to really watch out.”
They’ll have to watch out because, as Avery tells it, Watson may be better than ever before.
“Deshaun is throwing the ball better than I think I’ve ever seen him throw a football,” Avery said. “And, I’m not just saying this, but he’s super healthy, he’s super focused, he’s super locked in. When it comes to like putting on his cleats, walking on a field, Sunday at one o’clock? The first time that he does that, I think that people are going to be reminded very, very quickly that Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.”
Jordan Palmer, who also has been working with Watson, expressed similar confidence (without, apparently, attacking his teammates).
“I think he plays this year, and I don’t even know what team he goes to and he’s a top three MVP candidate this year, 100 percent,” Palmer told Russillo. “People forget, this is one of the best players in the league with a chance to be the best. Deshaun is not a solid quarterback. He’s not a guy who’s had a good run. This is a gangster. The way he unites a room, the way that he shows up, the way he prepares. . . . People don’t realize this guy’s study habits, and the way he prepares. He’s not [just] a baller. He’s not [just] a guy who runs around and makes plays. He’s as sophisticated of a learner as I’ve been around. I don’t even care what team he goes on. He’s a top three MVP candidate this year.”
It still remains to be seen where Watson lands, and when. Off-field issues arising from last year’s rash of allegations continue to complicate the situation. Through it all, it takes only one team to strike a deal with the Texans, regardless of whether the criminal or civil allegations haven’t been resolved.