Knee injury ends Watson’s season

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice Thursday, two people familiar with the situation told the Associated Press.

The rookie suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees and will go on injured reserve. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced the injury.

His injury is the latest blow to a team that lost three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and linebacker Whitney Mercilus to season-ending injuries on Oct. 8.

The former Clemson standout had been a bright spot in a challenging season for the Texans (3-4). The 12th overall pick in this year’s draft was the AFC offensive player of the month after throwing for 1,171 yards with 16 touchdowns and running for 145 yards and another score. Clemson coach Dabo

Swinney talked about Watson’s injury and noted that he rebounded from the same injury when he was with the Tigers.

“I talked to Deshaun late this afternoon and we are disappointed,” Swinney said. “But he is a person who has had some setbacks in his life, and always comes back stronger. Since he went through the rehab before, he knows what it takes.”

Watson also tore his ACL in 2014 as a freshman at Clemson.

Out of luck: The Colts will place quarterback Andrew Luck on injured reserve, likely ending his season. “We’re going to shut his throwing down and we’re going to continue rehab, hard rehab,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said.

Since undergoing surgery in January for a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the star quarterback missed all of the Colts’ offseason workouts, all of training camp, the entire preseason and will miss his ninth straight regular-season game Sunday against the Texans.

Luck didn’t even start throwing to teammates until early October and was shut down just two weeks later after complaining of soreness in his right shoulder.

So with the Colts (2-6) struggling, their playoff hopes fading fast and Luck apparently not close to 100 percent, the team made the smart move.

“He was frustrated. He’s a competitive guy, he knows the impact he has on a Sunday,” Ballard said. “He’s a difference-maker. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so he’s frustrated.”

Extra points: Lawyers for the league said in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan that Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elli

ott has no chance of success with his latest attempt to delay a six-game suspension. They also said federal law can’t mean one thing for professional athletes and something else for every other employee. The union has asked the court to block the start of the suspension. ... Chiefs LB Tamba Hali returned to practice for the first time since the end of last season. Hali, 33, is on the physically unable to perform list after missing the offseason program and all of training camp to rest and rehabilitate his ailing knees.