HOUSTON – Texans veteran wide receiver Justin Watson is sidelined indefinitely with a calf muscle-Achilles injury suffered while recovering a blocked punt against the Kansas City Chiefs and leaving the game Monday night, per league sources.
Watson didn’t tear it and could return at some point this season. He is being placed on injured reserve and can be designated for return.
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The Texans signed Watson in the offseason to a two-year, $5 million contract.
He has three catches for 30 yards on four targets in two games.
The deal includes a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1.75 million (fully guaranteed), and $2.25 million with $750,000 of it guaranteed in 2026. He has a $250,000 incentive in 2025. He has annual per game active roster bonuses up to $250,000, paid $14,705 per game.
Watson is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers fifth-round draft pick from Penn.
A former Ivy League standout, Watson caught 22 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns last season for the Chiefs as he played in every game and started twice.
A 6-foot-2, 215-pound veteran, Watson has caught 87 career passes for 1,322 yards and nine touchdowns.
Two seasons ago, Watson caught a career-high 27 passes for 460 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games and eight starts on 53 targets.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.