The Houston Texans made a major splash this past week upgrading their secondary with the addition of former Pro Bowl safety Tyrann Mathieu on a one-year deal shortly after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Since the move, Mathieu has been quite vocal about his excitement about this next chapter of his career.

Among the reasons for his optimism is the chance to play with second-year quarterback Deshaun Watson. During a recent interview with Pro Football Talk Live, Mathieu boasted about his new teammate's ability on the field that could lead to him quickly becoming a bonafide superstar in the NFL.

“I’ve always been a fan of him, ever since he’s been at Clemson,” Mathieu said of Watson in an interview that aired Thursday on PFT Live. “We’ve always been in communication. Just feeding off each other’s energy. He’s a special talent. Like I said, just being in the division with Russell Wilson and seeing the kind of player that he truly was. I think Deshaun Watson can definitely be that kind of player. He definitely has that potential… I’m excited to be his teammate.”

Although Watson is currently recovering from an ACL tear that he suffered last November, he has already shown much reason for the franchise to have much faith in him. He was on a tear through the first seven games of the 2017 season by throwing for 1,699 yards while setting the rookie franchise-record with 19 touchdown passes, which were tied for the most in the NFL at the time of his injury. His 19 passing touchdowns were also the most by a quarterback in their first seven career games since 1970, surpassing Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

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Texans owner Cal McNair

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In his brief time on the field, he has demonstrated much poise as a rookie, making numerous big plays down the field with his strong and accurate arm. Watson also positioned the Texans to potentially become a playoff contender behind his stellar play that made them one of the exciting teams in the league to watch.

The 22-year-old continues to make progress in his recovery from his leg injury, as he's projected to be ready in time for the start of the 2018 season. The Texans are in no way rushing him along in this process, but Watson has shown no reason to believe he won't be on the field come Week 1.