It might have only been for a few plays, but it was a successful return to the field for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the team’s 17-10 win at Kansas City in the preseason opener for both teams.
Watson, who missed the final nine games of his rookie season after tearing his ACL, made the start and took the snaps just for the Texans opening series, which resulted in a punt.
He attempted just one pass, which was completed to Bruce Ellington, for a modest four yard gain.
"It was cool. It was a great time to get the juices flowing a little bit and just hear the fans and walk on the field,” Watson said of his brief, but meaningful appearance.
“Every opportunity is meaningful for not just me, but the whole team. From practice, to meetings, to walk-throughs, preseason games, regular season games, playoffs, and the Super Bowl, every opportunity really matters and counts,” Watson said.
"For me to go out there for four or five plays and get back into the flow, I’m seeing different looks than what I might see in the regular season,” Watson added.
"Whenever that opportunity and those times come, I’ll prepare for it.”
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien agreed it was important to get Watson back on the field, even if it was just for a few snaps.
“I think it was important for him to go through the whole warmup process and preparation for the game and get out there and operate the offense,” O’Brien.
"Without having watched the film, I thought he did what we asked him to do.”
Watson said he and team have a good plan for having him ready for the season opener on September 9th at the Patriots.
“I’m going to take it one day at a time and just see how it goes there’s no rush,” Watson said. "Whenever the opportunity comes, OB (O’Brien) and the organization are going to make sure that I’m doing it the right way and make sure that I’m getting enough playing time to get ready for the season.”