Over the past couple of weeks, the debate surrounding kneeling during the national anthem has crept back into the National discourse. Some NFL players have been kneeling during the anthem for four years now and there are still many out there who see it as disrespectful to the flag. In light of the injustice that is happening all around the United States right now, the concept of kneeling has become as prevalent as ever.

Recently, Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien announced that he would kneel with his players when the season starts. This prompted a fan to say that JJ Watt would never be caught doing such a thing. Well, Watt didn't appreciate those comments and clapped back on Twitter, saying: "A) don’t speak for me B) if you still think it’s about disrespecting the flag or our military, you clearly haven’t been listening."

Ever since he came into the league with Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson has quickly risen to the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. Even if you’re not a Houston Texans fan, there is no denying that he is a true gift to the sport and a magician in the pocket when placed under pressure.

Recently, the Texans exercised their fifth-year option on Watson which means he is under contract until 2021. Following that season, he will be up for a massive long-term contract, and the Texans have every intention of keeping him. During a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle, Watson was asked about his situation with the Texans and as he explained, it’s just fine.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

“It’s definitely good,” Watson said. “It’s exciting for all of us. Only time will tell, but we’re going to do everything we can to make sure it’s on the right track. We’re going to win a lot of games and championships while we continue to figure out that side of the business, too.”

Simply put, Watson is excited to continue his career with the Texans, as long as the price is right. Granted, this should be every player’s mindset especially when you’re as valuable as Watson is.

As for winning a lot of championships, he will have to figure out how to get past Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, first.

[Via]

Deshaun Watson has cemented himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the entire NFL, over the last few years. He was drafted by the Houston Texans which is something that Chicago Bears fans still regret, to this day. Of course, this is because the Bears took Mitch Trubisky over both Watson and Super Bowl-winner Patrick Mahomes. Recently, the Bears made it clear that they wouldn't pick up Trubisky's fifth-year option which means his future in the league is in jeopardy.

On Twitter last night, a debate broke out about black quarterbacks and how some teams operate with prejudice. One journalist stated that the Bears did their due diligence with Watson and though Trubisky was better. Watson certainly disagreed with this notion as he took to Twitter to make it clear that the Bears never talked to him prior to his draft year.

Stephen A. Smith has been known to speak his mind on topics that he is passionate about. When it comes to people who are bad at their jobs, Smith shows absolutely no mercy. Today on First Take, that's exactly what he did while talking about the most recent Houston Texans trade. Of course, they just picked up Brandin Cooks from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a second-round pick. Many feel like this is a bad deal considering they just lost DeAndre Hopkins.

Bill O'Brien is the coach and GM of the team and many feel as though he is doing a horrible job in both positions. Smith, on the other hand, believes O'Brien is an okay coach although he should be fired as the general manager immediately. In the clip below, Smith lists all of the bad moves O'Brien has made over the last little while.

Deshaun Watson has proven himself to be one of the best young quarterback talents in the entire NFL and as the starter for the Houston Texans, he has cemented himself as one of the players to watch out for years to come. For the past few seasons, his favorite target has been none other than DeAndre Hopkins. Unfortunately for Watson, Hopkins was traded to the Arizona Cardinals last week. Now, Watson will have to play the upcoming season without his guy.

In light of this, Watson took to Twitter where he dropped off some Drake lyrics from the song "Emotionless." He writes "i don't know how i’ma make it out of here clean. can’t even keep track of who plays for the other team.. iconic duos rip and split at the seams."

NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin made an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" on Wednesday morning to discuss the blockbuster trade that sent All Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for "a ham sandwich." 

According to Irvin, Hopkins told him that he had met with head coach Bill O'Brien prior to the trade, and that the meeting deteriorated once O'Brien compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez. Furthermore, Irvin claims that O'Brien didn't like how Hopkins "has his baby mamas around sometimes."

The Houston Texans shocked the NFL world earlier this week when they traded All Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for aging running back David Johnson and some future draft picks, none of which are in the first round.

On Wednesday, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin provided his insight on the situation in Houston, including how head coach Bill O'Brien allegedly compared Hopkins to Aaron Hernandez during a pre-trade meeting.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

During his appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," Irvin revealed that Hopkins' relationship with the Texans went south once O'Brien brought up Hernandez, and voiced his displeasure with the fact that Hopkins sometimes bring his baby mamas around.

Says Irvin:

"He told me, he said, Michael, it was a bit of a power struggle there because Bill O’Brien thought he had too much influence over the locker room. He called DeAndre Hopkins in a meeting to talk about this and to kind of get this — hash it out. In that meeting, he started the meeting with telling DeAndre Hopkins this — which blew my mind when DeAndre told me this. He told DeAndre Hopkins, he said, ‘Hey, the last time I had to have a meeting like this it was with Aaron Hernandez.’ I was like what? He put in Aaron Hernandez in this meeting? He said yes he did. He said, ‘Michael. that blew my mind that he would even bring that up, I’ve never been in any trouble, I don’t know why he would equate me with Aaron Hernandez.’"  

"And from there the meeting just deteriorated. He got into talking about DeAndre Hopkins. DeAndre Hopkins has a few kids from different women and he said, you know, he told DeAndre that he doesn’t like that he has his baby mamas around sometimes. And from there I think the relationship just went bad and thus we got a trade of DeAndre Hopkins from Houston, for basically what I said earlier, a ham sandwich all because of that relationship."

Check out Irvin's full thoughts in the video embedded below.

The Arizona Cardinals have reportedly pulled off a trade for Houston Texans' All Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. I repeat: The Houston Texans have actually agreed to trade DeAndre Hopkins.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Cardinals will receive Hopkins and a fourth round pick, while the Texans acquire running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round selection and a 2021 fourth-rounder. Obviously, the main takeaway is that Hopkins will now get the contract extension he wanted, as he joins forces with Rookie of the Year QB Kyler Murray.

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Hopkins, arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, has earned First Team All-Pro honors in each of the last three seasons. He finished with 104 receptions for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago, while helping Houston to a 10-6 record and guiding them to their second straight playoff appearance.

Johnson, meanwhile, has struggled since his All-Pro campaign in 2016, which makes this move all the more outrageous. In 13 appearance last season DJ carried the ball just 94 times for 345 yards and two touchdowns, while catching 36 passes for 370 yards and four TDs through the air. He is entering the second year of the three-year, $39 million extension he signed with the Cardinals, and the Texans have reportedly agreed to take on that entire salary. 

Check out some of the reactions to the blockbuster deal below.

One of the most impressive comebacks in NFL history went down yesterday. After going down 24-0 early in the second quarter, the Kansas City Chiefs exploded for 41 unanswered points en-route to a 51-31 victory against the Houston Texans. The Texans were in the driver's seat for the entire first quarter but they weren't able to sustain their offensive outburst. Meanwhile, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was an absolute monster as he threw for five touchdowns. Overall, it was an insanely entertaining game that featured twists and turns at every single juncture.

As you can imagine, the social media reactions to this collapse were quite intense. Texans fans went through a comeback of their own last weekend as their team overcame a 16-0 deficit against the Buffalo Bills. The fashion in which they lost the lead against the Kansas City Chiefs was much more epic and unexpected. Considering what happened last weekend, NFL fans were quick to make fun of the Texans and their pain.

Last weekend’s Wild-Card round was easily one of the best weekends of playoff football we have seen in a long time. The weekend was kicked off with a thrilling overtime game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. From there, we were blessed with a huge upset as the Tennessee Titans, propelled by Derrick Henry, knocked off the defending champion New England Patriots. On Sunday, more upsets were had as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the formidable New Orleans Saints in yet another overtime blockbuster matchup. The final game of the weekend wasn’t as dramatic as the other three although the Seattle Seahawks showed everyone why they’re so hard to beat when the games mean something.

Now, we are in the Divisional Round which means the stakes are even higher. Whoever wins will punch their ticket into their respective conference’s championship game. From there, they will compete for a spot in the Super Bowl where the Lombardi trophy will be on the line. There are some phenomenal matchups this weekend and we’re here to predict who’s going to come away victorious.

Minnesota Vikings @ San Francisco 49ers 

Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The Vikings were one of the most surprising teams of the Wild-Card round as quarterback Kirk Cousins and company upset Drew Brees and the Saints. Most fans would tell you they had the Saints winning that game simply because the Saints offense is too much to handle. In the end, the Vikings defense was up to the task and did an incredible job stifling some of the Saints’ biggest playmakers. Meanwhile, the San Francisco 49ers were one of this season’s biggest surprises as they finished the year with a record of 13-3 and even won the number one seed in the NFC. 

Once you get to the Divisional Round, stats are pretty well thrown out the window. What these matches come down to is talent and who can perform in the biggest moment. Both of these teams have unproven quarterbacks which makes the matchup that much more interesting. Cousins proved his worth by winning a playoff game last weekend although it remains to be seen whether or not he can continue that success. As for Jimmy Garoppolo, he will be making his playoff debut on Saturday and the pressure is on. Cousins has better weapons at wide receiver whereas Jimmy G mostly relies on his game management skills. On the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers have been nothing short of dominant this year and will surely prove to be the Vikings’ toughest challenge yet. The Vikings have proven themselves to be formidable foes on defense but 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has proven himself to be quite crafty this season. With this in mind, it’s clear the 49ers have an advantage.

Usually, 1 Vs. 6 seeds are easy to predict. This matchup, however, is going to be closer than people think. Regardless, the 49ers have the pieces necessary to make a Super Bowl run and their road to Miami begins this Saturday. Look for Jimmy G and company to pull this one out. 

Winner: 49ers (27-17)

Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Coming into the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens boast the best record in the NFL as they sit at 14-2. The Ravens were dominant thanks to quarterback Lamar Jackson who is a prime candidate for league MVP. Not to mention, running back Mark Ingram was the perfect complementary piece to Jackson’s dual-threat offense. Overall, the Ravens are a team that can decimate you on both sides of the ball, which puts them in the perfect position to make a deep playoff run. As for the Tennessee Titans, they are a gritty team that squeaked into the playoffs and are on an emotional high after upsetting the Patriots.

When it comes down to it, the Ravens are simply the better team and it’s not particularly close. From top to bottom, the Ravens have the advantage. You can make the argument that Derrick Henry is better than Ingram, however, after his usage from last weekend, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a tired, broken down Henry on the field. The Ravens will be anticipating the run game and are more than equipped to deal with it. As for Titans QB Ryan Tannehill, he just isn’t in the same ballpark as Jackson. He put up pedestrian numbers against the Patriots and the Ravens will prove to be an even tougher test. The Titans run has been fun to watch but it will come to an end on Saturday.

Jackson and his teammates will put on a clinic and run away with it early. Expect a double-digit win for the league’s regular-season champion.

Winner: Ravens (31-14)

Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Perhaps the best game of the weekend will be between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans. Earlier this season, Deshaun Watson and the Texans toppled the Chiefs by a score of 31-24. This game was at the height of the Chiefs’ defensive woes all while QB Patrick Mahomes was dealing with injury woes. Now, the tables have turned as the Chiefs are coming into the playoffs with the number two seed in the AFC and a six-game winning streak.

This matchup is going to come down to one thing: the quarterbacks. Mahomes and Watson are two of the best quarterbacks in the league and have the skill necessary to win a Super Bowl. Mahomes is known as more of a gunslinger while Watson is known for his ability to march offenses down the field and scramble out of the pocket when necessary. Both defenses are going to have a hard time stopping these men and it’s going to make for some interesting television. Both the Texans and Chiefs boast questionable defenses although the Chiefs have vastly improved since these teams last played each other. Watson has the ability to go tit for tat with Mahomes but the latter’s ability to throw 50-yard touchdowns at will could prove to the difference. The Texans barely squeaked by the Bills, whose offense is anemic, to say the least. All things considered, it appears as though the Chiefs have the advantage.

Mahomes is going to be motivated after what happened in last year’s playoffs. Look for him to have a dominant game with three touchdown passes. The Chiefs will win this one narrowly, although as they say, a win is a win.

Winner: Chiefs (24-21)

Seattle Seahawks @ Green Bay Packers

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Of all the games going on this weekend, this could potentially be the hardest to predict. At the end of the day, it’s all going to depend on what version of Aaron Rodgers we see. Rodgers is perhaps the most talented quarterback to ever grace the field, however, he has seen a bit of a decline over the last two seasons and it has started to be quite noticeable. Luckily for the Packers, Rodgers has a solid defense and competent running back for what seems like the first time in his career. The Seahawks have their own issues as the defense and offense are plagued with injuries. Add a weak offensive line to the mix and you’ve got a nightmare scenario for Russell Wilson.

Wilson and rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf combined for 160 yards and a touchdown last week so look for them to be a huge factor on Sunday. Meanwhile, Rodgers and his Packers receivers will be motivated to silence those who think the Packers are pretenders, despite their impressive 13-3 record. For Rodgers, this could very well be a legacy game. He hasn’t been to the Super Bowl since 2011 and many pundits are starting to question his ability to win big games. This is the perfect opportunity for Rodgers to silence the critics and put on a vintage performance. Overall, this game could very well go the distance and result in a last-minute score. It might be a bit of a coin flip but considering the Seahawks’ injuries, the Packers seem to have the advantage.

Let’s face it, we all want to see a Packers vs. 49ers NFC Championship game. All things considered, it looks like we’re on a collision course for that exact matchup.

Winner: Packers (21-17)

Who do you think is going to win this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.