Since Patrick Mahomes inked his massive record-breaking contract, the Houston Texans have shifted their focus toward Deshaun Watson’s contract situation. The two sides have maintained ongoing discussions, but no significant progress has been made toward a new deal. It has led the Texans to make a strong statement that is music to Watson’s ears.

Deshaun Watson’s contract situation

It’s been nothing short of an interesting offseason for the Texans that has seen some notable roster moves.

However, the one that they haven’t made is what continues to linger over the franchise. The Texans are in ongoing discussions to work out a long-term extension with Deshaun Watson. There is mutual interest from both sides, but that hasn’t led to it finally hammered out.

There have been reports that Watson is eyeing a three-year extension that would allow him to re-negotiate another deal sooner. Meanwhile, the annual figure of between $42-44 million has been tossed around over the last few months. That has loosely laid out the parameters, but it’s on the Texans to get the task done.

With that in mind, the franchise has just stated something that Watson certainly loves to hear.

Texans restate desire for a long-term commitment to Deshaun Watson

Throughout the last few months, the Texans have remained quiet regarding where things stand contractually with their star quarterback.

The two sides have continued to talk behind closed doors, which has given the sense that an extension will eventually get worked out. Head coach Bill O’Brien further cemented that sentiment as he voiced that the team wants to keep the Pro Bowler for many years to come. (H/T Pro Football Talk)

“I think, look, obviously we feel good about where we’re at as a team,” O’Brien said “We feel like we have a lot of, like I said earlier, we’ve got a lot of dependable, tough, smart guys and they get along well. They want to be here. Houston’s a great city. They want to live here and they want to represent this city.”

O’Brien continued: “Like I’ve said all along, I don’t really want to get into specific contract talks but quite obviously we want Deshaun Watson to be here for a long time. He’s had a great training camp, he’s a great player and we’re going to work hard to get that done.”

Beyond O’Brien stating his unwithering desire to keep Watson in Houston, he also let out that the team is working hard to get a deal done. That shows tremendous commitment from the franchise to get their star quarterback under a lucrative contract. It should only be a matter of time before it’s all worked out.

When will it happen?

That is the million-dollar question as there is no clarity concerning when that will happen.

The optimistic approach is to get a new deal in place before the 2020 regular season. Watson is technically under contract for the next two years, but that isn’t something the franchise wants lingering further than it should. The team also has the franchise tag in their back pocket for the 2022 season.

It’s hard to envision things lingering that far ahead, but the Texans have their options. However, it’s in their best interest to lock in their star quarterback for the long haul sooner than later before the asking price takes another significant hike. The ball is in their court to get the contract done in a timely matter to allow the team to focus solely on competing for a Super Bowl.