Not training due to ankle and calf injuries, Deshaun Watson attends quarterback meetings

Whenever Texans coach David Culley answers questions about quarterback Deshaun Watson, the non-response comes with a delivery that could be described as frenzied bewilderment.

Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly gave a real answer on Watson’s current whereabouts on Wednesday. (We haven’t seen the video, so can’t say if the explanation was frantic or baffling.)

The context – now that the Texans are training in the pads, Watson is not present in training. As Kelly explained, Watson attends meetings.

“He’s been a great asset to us in the room and some of the things that we do, how he sees it and how he sees the intention of the rooms,” Kelly said, via John McClain’s Houston Chronicle. “It was awesome. He was very helpful with these players. Again, we do a good job of keeping him engaged and going through different things with him. He has been good for these players.

Via McClain, Watson has not been on the training ground because he has ankle and calf injuries. It’s unclear if these injuries would prevent him from training without the bizarre and uncomfortable posture the player and the team currently occupy, given Watson’s desire to be traded, the team’s desire for the exchange, the uncertainty arising from 22 civil lawsuits, the existence of 10 criminal complaints, the inevitability of a grand jury dealing with the case and the possibility of an indictment.

“We’re worried about the guys training there,” Kelly said. “Tyrod takes the [first-team] snaps, and we have [Jeff Driskel] and Davis, and they do a good job for us. We are preparing these three players to play.

Implicit in this remark is the reality that they are not preparing the fourth player to play. Well, they’re literally getting him ready to go. The question is where he will go and whether he will be sent in that direction via a negotiation between two NFL teams or an executive order from the league office.