As members of the 2017 draft class, star quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes are both eligible for extensions after the 2019 season comes to a close. We recently heard that the Chiefs and Mahomes are expected to agree to a new contract in the coming months — a contract that could exceed $200MM in total value — but we have heard less about Watson.
Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link), the Texans will try to extend Watson this offseason, but Watson wants to wait until Mahomes has signed his new pact so that he can try to trump it. And because Kansas City does not want to reach an accord with Mahomes until a new CBA is in place, a new deal between Houston and Watson may not be consummated until the late spring or early summer months.
Of course, neither team has to negotiate new contracts with their signal-callers this year. Both players can be controlled through the 2021 season since both were first-round choices and are therefore subject to a fifth-year option. But it sounds like the Texans and Chiefs want to put pen to paper sooner rather than later, perhaps as a result of the ever-rising salary cap.
Watson, who was an MVP candidate for much of the year, finished the 2019 regular season with 3,852 passing yards, 26 TDs, 12 interceptions, and a 98.0 QB rating. He also rushed 82 times for 413 yards and seven scores, and he picked up a signature playoff win with the Texans’ comeback defeat of the Bills in last week’s wildcard matchup.
Watson’s Texans will visit Mahomes’ Chiefs in today’s divisional round bout, the winner of which will host the Titans in the AFC Championship Game.
Archipelagowned
Watson is good but he is just not on Mahomes’ level to be able to top his deal.
Yep. Just look at todays game for proof of that.
It’s debatable. I think Watson on the Chiefs team with Andy Reid coaching would be as good or possibly better than PM.
No way. Watson folded his cards at 24-14. Mahomes pulled his team out of the 24-0 almost singled-handed. Watson is a bottom of top ten QB but not at all the same calibre as Mahomes.
I hope they resign him fast so the Bears know what Trubisky’s market is. 2017 is by the far the best QB draft ever!
Trubisky’s market is Hannaford cause he’ll be bagging groceries there soon
Not even close to best QB draft NFL draft ever
Exactly, there was a class in the 80’s that had a pretty decent group of qb’s.
*Sarcasm