The Houston Texans are heading into Week 10 with a familiar opponent waiting on the other sideline: Deshaun Watson.
Houston travels to Cleveland this weekend to face the Browns, putting Watson opposite the team that drafted him in 2017 and gave him the first four years of his NFL career. That stretch in Houston included two playoff appearances and three Pro Bowl selections, before everything changed.
Since then, the story has been shaped by Watson’s 2021 trade request, the legal investigations that followed, the deal that sent him to Cleveland for three first-round picks, a third, and a fourth, and the 2024 Achilles injury. Now it all lands back in front of the Texans in Week 10 of the 2026 season, with Watson set to start and face Houston for only the second time in his career.
It will also be the first time he lines up against C.J. Stroud.
Watson, though, brushed off the reunion angle.
"You know, going against my former team, that stuff was in the past," Watson said of facing the Texans. "Four or five years ago, yeah, it was a big deal, but now I think both sides have moved on."
"We're just both trying to find ways to win and continue to put ourselves in position for later on down the road."
The first time Watson faced Houston, back in 2022, the Texans had a rough afternoon. They lost 27-14 at home with Kyle Allen at quarterback, committed four turnovers, and went 1-12 on third down. Watson’s own numbers weren’t especially sharp either, as he completed 54.5% of his passes for 131 yards and an interception.
Still, that game is old news now, and Houston is trying to turn the page with a much different setup in 2026.
Stroud sounded just as unconcerned about the storyline around Watson.
"It's a football game in the NFL. I really don't think about that," Stroud said of facing Watson.
"I have a lot of appreciation for Deshaun. He was good to me when I was in college, and I've been a big fan of his when he played here as well..."
"There’s a couple other guys that I played with in college who have been on the Texans. That’s every week in the NFL; usually playing against former players and guys you grew up watching. So, it’s nothing different."
For Houston, the bigger issue is the record. At 3-5, the Texans need a win badly, and the Browns are in the AFC Wild Card race too. That gives this matchup real weight beyond the Watson angle, even if the reunion talk is the part that will grab the most attention.
For Texans fans who have been around since the Watson era, a win in Cleveland would mean more than just another number in the standings. It would also offer a chance to settle the score from the last meeting.
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Cleveland, though, brings a different kind of test, even with its own offensive problems and shaky tackle play creating obvious pressure points. Houston still has questions of its own, especially around the running game and whether the defense has truly taken a step forward under Coach Matt Ryan, so this meeting feels less like a routine game and more like a measuring stick for how real the Texans rise actually is. [Read more 🡒]