San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
WATSON AGREES TO $160 MILLION EXTENSION
Deshaun Watson has agreed to a four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Houston Texans.
Watson announced the signing on Twitter on Saturday.
“As a child growing up in Georgia, it was always my dream to play in the NFL,” Watson wrote in the post. “Today, I couldn’t be more honored and humbled to sign a longterm deal in Houston, the city that I’ve grown to love so much and now call my home.”
The deal makes Watson the second-highest paid quarterback in the league, behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, who signed a 10year deal worth up to $503 million in July.
In his post Watson thanked Texans coach and GM Bill O’brien and many members of the team’s staff as well as his mother and other family members before sending a message to Texans fans.
“I promise to do everything I can to not only bring a championship to this great city but also leave a legacy of helping positively impact this community,” he wrote in the post. “Now back to the work”
The 24-year-old threw for 3,852 yards and 26 touchdowns last season when he led the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs. Watson has thrown for 9,716 yards and 71 touchdowns and has run for 1,233 yards and 14 scores in his three-year career.
Smith makes roster
Alex Smith told coaches he wanted to play again, showed them it was possible and earned a roster spot to prove it.
Smith (Helix High) made Washington’s initial 53-man roster after final cuts were made, another significant step in his remarkable comeback 22 months since breaking his right leg.
Coach Ron Rivera said the veteran quarterback is on the team and there’s no plan to put Smith on injured reserve in the coming days. Smith might even be Dwayne Haskins’ backup in the season opener Sept. 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Another player coming back from injury, linebacker Reuben Foster, landed on injured reserve after not looking like himself during training camp.
QBS sent packing
The theory that NFL teams would go with three quarterbacks to start the pandemic-impacted season took a hit.
Lots of third-stringers were sent packing as the 32 teams got down to the 53-man limit. The season opens Thursday night with Houston at Super Bowl champion Kansas City.
Perhaps most noteworthy was Miami releasing Josh Rosen, a first-round selection by Arizona in 2018 who was dealt to the Dolphins last year after the Cardinals took Kyler Murray with the top overall selection.
Other quarterbacks released were veteran Mike Glennon and Josh Dobbs of the Jaguars, David Blough of the Lions, who lost all five of his starts subbing for the injured Matthew Stafford in 2019; Paxton Lynch of the Steelers; Cooper Rush and Alex Tanney of the Giants; Kurt Benkert and Kyle Lauletta of the Falcons; Chad Kelly of the Colts; and David Fales and Mike White of the Jets, who said veteran Joe Flacco passed his physical after neck surgery.
Making the Giants was Mr. Irrelevant. Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder, the final player taken in April’s draft, is on the roster. Miami kept Malcolm Perry, a star QB at Navy and now a wideout.
More testing protocols
Players and coaches will have their eligibility for games determined by testing for the novel coronavirus performed on the days before, with a follow-up point-of-care test on game days possible for those who have an inconclusive result.
Players and coaches also will in most cases be barred from being in team facilities on days after games under updated coronavirus protocols for the season completed via an agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association.
Notable
Cornerback Luq Barcoo, an undrafted free agent from San Diego State and Castle Park High, made the Jaguars’ 53-man roster.
The Bills locked up starting cornerback Tre’davious White through the 2025 season by signing him to a fouryear, $70 million contract extension.
The Raiders moved on from one of their three thirdround draft picks before he even played a snap for the team. The Raiders dealt the versatile Lynn Bowden Jr. to the Dolphins just over four months after drafting him 80th overall. Las Vegas also sent a 2021 sixth-round pick to Miami in the deal and got a fourth-rounder in return.
The Patriots released both placekickers, veteran Nick Folk and rookie fifthround draft pick Justin Rohrwasser.