Heading into his second campaign, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson continues to make steady promising progress in his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last November.

Watson has now moved past physical limitations in practice, putting him well on pace to be the starter for Week 1. With that in mind, he appears primed to take the field for the preseason opener on Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.

Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson last played in a game when Houston lost to Seattle 41-38 on October 29, but it looks like he’ll be getting some game action this week.

This is yet another huge step forward for Watson in his recovery, as he continues to be well ahead of schedule of the typical timetable for the major injury. He has progressed to the point where any concern from the team is minimal at most in terms of how he will fare against contact moving forward. At the same time, the Texans will likely continue to keep a close eye on how he responds to being hit and the days that follow.

If he's able to show that he can physically handle the entire process, there is no reason to believe he won't be on the field for the two following games to knock the rust off ahead of the 2018 season. It all depends on how his body responds to live action at the professional level.

During his brief time on the field in 2017, the 22-year-old has shown that he can potentially be the long-term answer under center for Houston with his poise in the pocket, ability to scramble, and his accurate arm.