Amid a season littered with prolonged legal battles, horrific injuries, the NFL being used as a prop in Donald Trump's culture war, and a litany of insipid games, Houston Texans rookie Deshaun Watson rose above everything to become the story of the year.
In a fashion befitting of the most dreary season on record, Watson's season came to an abrupt end Thursday when he tore his ACL on a non-contact injury during practice. Halloween season has come to an end, but Watson's arc is the most unnerving of all this fall.
Watson was one of the most decorated prospects of the last decade. He entered Clemson as a five-star prospect, then submitted one of the best collegiate careers in recent memory, culminating in an upset of Alabama in last year's national title game. In hindsight, it seemed patently ridiculous that Mitchell Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes were selected before him, until the Texans traded up to the No. 12 spot to find their elusive quarterback of the future.
The 22-year-old didn't begin the 2017 season as the starter, as Texans head coach Bill O'Brien inexplicably gave Tom Savage the nod for Week 1. Watson remained undeterred, however, and when he scampered in for a 49-yard touchdown run against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, a star was born. Watson's 19 passing touchdowns put him in a share of the lead alongside Carson Wentz, leading some to believe he was a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, to say nothing of his ascending MVP bid. As the NFL becomes an inherently tragic league, it is cruel fate that its newest star falls victim to a devastating injury in the infancy of his career.
Watson provided the Texans with an offensive identity that it lacked since their inception. With the rookie under center, Watson elevated DeAndre Hopkins to his grandest heights and turned Will Fuller into one of the league's most terrifying downfield threats, spelling a previously overmatched run game. In a division where Marcus Mariota and Blake Bortles have struggled and with Andrew Luck out for the year, the Texans were given every opportunity to seize. It's eminently possible that the Texans win the AFC South, but no one will look at them as a sleeper Super Bowl contender as they did with Watson aboard.
It's a crushing blow for fans of the NFL, Texans fans, and most importantly, Watson himself. The quarterback has excelled at every juncture of his career, and now faces his greatest test. The best story of the 2017 season came with a shocking, horrific twist that rivals the best of M. Night Shyamalan's early work. How Watson responds will ultimately paint the next chapter of this captivating novella.
