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Bill O’Brien: Deshaun Watson ‘ahead of any rookie I’ve ever been around’

Will Deshaun Watson start for the Texans as a rookie?

Tom Savage is still the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. Based on a comment by head coach Bill O’Brien, that might not last for long. Clemson product Deshaun Watson is coming on strong, wowing the coach already in training camp.

Watson was the most pro-ready quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft class, so it’s not surprising he’s looking good already. He is a kid who not only made big plays on a consistent level at the highest level of play in college but who also has leadership abilities that can’t be taught.

Last year’s national championship-winning quarterback is also very confident and has all the physical tools you could ask for in a passer. However, he needs to continuously blow O’Brien away to land the starting job before training camp ends.

“Tom is No. 1,” O’Brien said on Saturday, per USA Today. “But Tom also knows the situation – that he has a young guy there behind him that’s playing pretty well, too. Look, Tom hasn’t played a whole lot for us. When he has played, he has played pretty well and we have won. Not every time, but we have won a couple of times with him in there. So he has that confidence. But it’s not like he’s a three-year starter. He knows he has to earn it every day and continue to get better.”

Preseason games will be a huge part of how O’Brien evaluates his quarterback situation. Training camp practices matter, too. But playing well in a game setting when the pressure is on is always a huge key.

It’s going to be interesting to see if Savage can stave off the rookie. He’s said recently that this challenge is one he loves. He better love it, and embrace it. Because Watson is coming for that starting job, and he might soon have it in hand.

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