Deshaun Watson Says Texans' Trust Is Most Important Part of New Contract

The Houston Texans selected Deshaun Watson with the No. 12 overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft and further cemented his status as the franchise cornerstone with a contract extension.

"For them to trust me, it means the most," Watson said of the new deal, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. "That's the biggest thing. The contract was going to take care of itself."

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Texans signed Watson to a four-year extension worth $160 million that keeps him with the only professional team he has ever known through 2025. It is the second-richest contract in NFL history behind only the one Patrick Mahomes signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Watson released a statement, thanking those who helped him reach this level, as well as the team and the fans:

The Clemson product led the Texans to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons as a Pro Bowler and is just 24 years old. He figures to be on the shortlist of the top quarterbacks for years to come, and it is clear Houston trusts him to continue down that path.

He threw for 4,165 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2018 and then followed by completing 67.3 percent of his passes for 3,852 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 picks last year. He also added 413 yards and seven scores on the ground as a dual-threat playmaker who is difficult to stop.

This year figures to be a new type of challenge, though, as the Texans traded away DeAndre Hopkins during the offseason.

Suddenly, Watson lost the top target from the early portion of his career who not only came down with contested catches in traffic but also opened routes for his teammates because of the additional defensive attention he attracts.

That trade and the new Watson contract left little doubt who the Texans viewed as the face of the franchise, and the quarterback clearly recognized that trust given his comments.

The next step is competing for a Super Bowl title, which the team is yet to accomplish in its history. It will largely be up to Watson if that is going to change in the immediate future, and he and his teammates start their 2020 efforts on Thursday against the defending champion Chiefs.