The Texans dealt with a number of season-ending injuries this year, but losing their starting quarterback was one that was as sudden as it was devastating.
"In the short time that he played with us and the type of guy he is, he'll be one of top quarterbacks in this league for a long time," head coach Bill O'Brien said Friday.
After a dynamic rookie debut, Deshaun Watson ended abruptly during a routine drill in Thursday's practice.
"I saw him go down," Bruce Ellington said. "He got right back up. I didn't think anything happened until the afternoon when I saw everything on Instagram, Twitter, etc."
Watson, who played in all seven games with six starts, suffered a non-contact knee injury, according to head coach Bill O'Brien. Watson posted a message on Twitter on Friday.
The Texans returned to practice on Friday with four-year veteran Tom Savage as the starter.
"Very resilient bunch of guys," O'Brien said. "We'll battle. We are going to show up and play. Savage will be the quarterback and Yates will be the backup and we'll go from there."
Following the Texans 41-38 loss at Seattle, Watson became the first-ever NFL quarterback with 400-or-more passing yards, four-or-more passing touchdowns, and 50-or-more rushing yards in a single game. Through seven games, Watson has the most passing touchdowns (19) by any rookie in NFL history, passing Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, and is tied for first among all NFL quarterbacks (Carson Wentz).
The Texans return to NRG on Sunday to face the Indianapolis Colts. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on CBS and SportsRadio 610.
Lady Texans, Houston Texans Cheerleaders and Ambassadors hosted Tees, Texans and Troops at Topgolf, where they golfed alongside 150 active military members and veterans.
