When the Houston Texans’ 2023 schedule was first released, the team’s Christmas Eve game against the Cleveland Browns was billed as a clash of the franchise’s past and future. The past would be Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, the contentious quarterback Houston acquired in exchange for a haul that has been critical to its resurgence. C.J. Stroud, the new Texans quarterback, has taken the NFL by storm in one of the best rookie quarterback seasons the league has ever seen. However, due to injuries, it is possible that neither half of that matchup will play on Friday.
Watson will not be playing after undergoing season-ending surgery last month, and while Stroud has a chance to play, the fact that he is still in concussion protocol more than a week after the injury calls his status into question. Sunday’s game between two playoff contenders remains important, but the possibility of both quarterbacks being out dampens the atmosphere. Even if neither quarterback plays on Christmas Eve, the Texans are still feeling the effects of both. Stroud is the obvious choice, as he has not only led Houston back to playoff contention after three years of misery, but he has also transformed the team into one that fans across the league want to watch. Related: Texans’ Derrick Henry Sets NFL Record Lows Watson, on the other hand, isn’t having much of an impact on the Texans, but the deal they got for him is. Taboola powers this website.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR YOU In Indiana, a mother shoots and kills her 52-year-old daughter because she ‘would not stop talking,’ according to police. Dec 13, 2023 TN cops say a man shot and killed a teen at Sonic and accused him of breaking into his wife’s car. Dec 18, 2023 The funeral home placed their loved one’s brain in a box ‘by mistake,’ according to the suit. Dec 15, 2023 According to family, an airport worker, 32, died after being shot while driving home.
‘They stole our happiness.’ Dec 14, 2023 Houston received six draft picks over three years, including three first-rounders, in exchange for Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick. The Texans were able to turn those picks into Dameon Pierce, Will Anderson Jr., Tank Dell, and others through subsequent trades, and they still have two picks in the 2024 draft. What about the Browns? Yes, they’re a good team right now, but that’s because of their incredible defense, while Watson struggled and couldn’t stay healthy. Related: NFL Analyst: Deshaun Trade ‘Worst (Best?) In NFL History’ Their predicament is set to worsen when Watson’s cap hit rises to an absurd $64 million (approximately) next season, and if he doesn’t return to peak Texans form, that contract will go down as one of the worst in NFL history.
While the past vs. future matchup will not be played on Sunday, the impact of both quarterbacks will be felt for years to come, particularly in Houston.
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