Deshaun Watson's Torn ACL Sparks Twitter Reaction

The Houston Texans' season took a turn for the worse Thursday when quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered what the team believes to be a non-contact ACL tear in practice, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

ESPN's Adam Schefter confirmed the diagnosis. 

Immediately after word leaked out, fans, players and analysts reacted to the news and extended sympathies to the rookie signal-caller who was previously on a torrid pace, according to ESPN Stats & Info: 

DraftKings' Adam Levitan and Yahoo Sports' Brad Evans were among those who noted Watson had been a bright spot during an NFL season that has been defined by injuries to starters: 

ESPN's Field Yates and NFL.com's Gil Brandt relayed a complete list of the most notable names who have been knocked out due to serious ailments: 

Rapoport noted the Texans, in particular, have been ravaged by season-ending injuries: 

Rotoworld's Raymond Summerlin added that Watson's injury could open the door for the Tennessee Titans to snag their first postseason berth since 2008: 

There was also an outpouring of support from players as they found out the MVP candidate and Offensive Rookie of the Year front-runner would be shut down for the remainder of the year: 

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James chimed in as well: 

The Texans, who are 3-4 following a thrilling 41-38 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, will now enter their Week 9 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts operating with far less firepower under center. 

According to Schefter, Tom Savage—who started in Houston's Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars—has been tabbed to retake the controls as the Texans attempt to climb back to .500 and avoid a second-half backslide. 

But as ESPN.com's Mike Clay pointed out, the move from Watson to Savage won't be an easy one for fans to swallow: 

Should Savage continue to disappoint, the Texans could pivot to Matt McGloin—who will reportedly link back up with former college coach Bill O'Brien after agreeing to terms on a contract Thursday afternoon, according to the Houston Chronicle's Aaron Wilson.