Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has an insatiable appetite for improvement, and he didn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic get in the way of this offseason endeavor.
As the former 2017 first-round pick enters his fourth year in the league, Watson can pinpoint where he has seen himself improve the most.
“Just my confidence continuing to grow,” Watson said. “The leadership, the knowledge of the offense, what we want to do as a whole, has been simplified for me just because it’s Year Four for me.”
Though Watson is entering 2020 with a new play-caller in offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, who is in his second year as a coordinator, the system has been relatively the same since the former Clemson Tiger landed in Houston.
“Having that comfortability and having that confidence on exactly what we’ve been learning over the past three years now getting into my year four and being with Tim and spending a whole year last year on his mindset and what he’s thinking and now he’s the play-caller,” said Watson. “Now having that, we’re being on the same page and I already know before each situation what he’s thinking, so we’re on the same page. I think that’s the next step that I’ve been taking with him and it’s been good.”
The 19th season in Texans’ history has an element of uncertainty with the club trading three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals. However, Watson, who was the biggest beneficiary of Hopkins’ elite play, continues to grow in his confidence. Part of the confidence growth has come from the actions of the front office, which sought to surround their franchise quarterback with a variety of weapons and predicate their offense on his decision-making. The Texans are going all-in on Watson, and that belief is sure to raise one’s own confidence.
