Deshaun Watson is easily one of the NFL’s brightest young talents as he enters his second year as a starting quarterback. And in news that will surprise absolutely nobody, the notoriously well-mannered Watson is ideal to coach.
“You know this is the type of guy you want as the leader of your team,” O’Brien told James Palmer of NFL Network Monday. “He shows up every day, very consistent guy, and puts the time in and it’s great to coach him.”
The Texans coach also described the Pro Bowl quarterback as, “one of the most improved guys in that span of time that we’ve had in our program here.”
In some measure, Watson has proven it with a 14-8 record through his first two seasons, and setting the Texans’ single-season record for passer rating at 103.1 in 2018. The former Clemson Tiger and National Championship winner demonstrated as early as the 2017 offseason, his first as a rookie, that he was a bright and adaptable individual.
Said O’Brien: “When he came in as a rookie he knew a lot, he’s a very smart guy, he was able to pick up a lot of things his rookie year, but from the point where he was at that time and now where he’s at now, it’s night and day.
“I mean, he has a really good idea of our offense, he has a much better idea of NFL defenses and he’s just a hard worker.”
Watson is the epitome of a leader by example who is in the process of entering his first NFL season having enjoyed a fully healthy offseason preparing. This comes after his first offseason was spent preparing for the combine and then learning behind Tom Savage, while his second was spent rehabbing from an ACL injury that ended his rookie year prematurely.
He’s healthy, he’s prepared, and by all accounts, everybody in the organization loves him.
