Deshaun Watson's Career Earnings After $160M Contract Extension with Texans

Christmas came a few months early for Deshaun Watson after he agreed to a contract extension with the Houston Texans on Saturday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Watson's extension is for four years, $160 million, and it ties him to Houston through 2025. The quarterback will have an average annual salary of $39 million during the added years, the second-highest in the NFL.

Watson has thrown for 9,716 yards and 71 touchdowns while running for 1,233 yards and 14 scores through his first three seasons. At times, it feels as though he has succeeded in spite of the supporting cast and coaching around him.

Should he see out the entirety of the contract, Watson will have quintupled the career earnings he's set to net from his rookie deal. Houston picked up his fifth-year option in April, so he'll collect a little more than $31.3 million through 2021 before his extension kicks in.

Now, Watson stands to earn almost $200 million before he'll be poised for another potentially lucrative payday.

Many were surprised when Patrick Mahomes committed to a 10-year extension with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. The total value ($450 million) and average salary ($45 million) look massive now but could become bargains for the Chiefs once the market adjusts.

Dak Prescott will be a free agent next offseason, while Russell Wilson is signed through 2023.

One also has to figure how much Lamar Jackson might be worth in 2023, assuming the Baltimore Ravens exercise his fifth-year option in 2022.

Those three will have all signed new deals before Watson is eligible for free agency again. In addition, he'll only be 30 in 2026, so he'll be in a great position to command another big extension that spans three or four years.

Thirty isn't an age at which teams balk at paying top dollar for proven passers. Wilson was that old when he and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year, $140 million pact that reset the bar for elite quarterbacks.

Fast-forward to 2026, and we'll probably be talking about Watson once again cashing in with the Texans or a different franchise.