The Houston Texans will get to see a pretty familiar face on the opposite sidelines this weekend as they'll be traveling to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, and that's former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Watson, who was drafted to the Texans back in 2017, spent the first four years of his career in Houston en route to two playoff appearances, three Pro Bowl nods, and at the time, quickly rose up as one of the more talented young signal-callers in the NFL.

But since those four years that we saw Watson as a part of the Texans, a lot has changed.

Between his 2021 trade request and lengthy legal investigations, the trade that sent him from Houston to the Browns in exchange for three firsts, a third, and a fourth round pick, multiple up-and-down years with Houston, and a 2024 Achilles injury, we now find ourselves to Week 10 of the 2026 season.

Watson will be starting for the Browns, facing up against his former team for just the second time of his career thus far, while also marking the first time that he'll be up against C.J. Stroud on the other side.

What Deshaun Watson Said About Facing Texans Again

However, even with this game being just the second time that Watson has been facing the Texans, he doesn't seem to be focusing on the reunion aspect much at all.

"You know, going against my former team, that stuff was in the past," Watson said of facing the Texans. "Four or five years ago, yeah, it was a big deal, but now I think both sides have moved on."

"We're just both trying to find ways to win and continue to put ourselves in position for later on down the road."

The last time that Watson was up against the Texans back in 2022, things didn't fare too well for Houston's side of the equation.

The Texans fell in a pretty one-sided loss on their home field, 14-27 in a game led by quarterback Kyle Allen, while the Texans had four total team turnovers and went a brutal 1-12 on third down.

Watson didn't have a particularly strong game, as he completed just 54.5% of his passes for 131 yards and an interception. But regardless of his individual performance, there's no doubt that the Texans will be hungry to find their way to a different fate for themselves this time in 2026.

C.J. Stroud Not Focused on Deshaun Watson Reunion

Yet, don't expect the Texans to be focusing much on the fact that Watson will be playing his former team once again–– and that's especially so for quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Stroud spoke about how he's feeling ahead of his first matchup facing Watson, where he similarly shrugged off any notion that this game meant any more than the next.

"It's a football game in the NFL. I really don't think about that," Stroud said of facing Watson. "I have a lot of appreciation for Deshaun. He was good to me when I was in college, and I've been a big fan of his when he played here as well..."

"There's a couple other guys that I played with in college who have been on the Texans. That's every week in the NFL; usually playing against former players and guys you grew up watching. So, it's nothing different."

The most important aspect of this game for the Texans simply might revolve around how important getting a win would be. At 3-5 with their backs against the wall, this game becomes extremely critical to take advantage of, especially knowing that the Browns are also in the AFC Wild Card hunt like Houston is.

Time will tell if the Texans can take care of business in Week 10. And for fans that have been along for the ride since the Watson days, getting a victory against him and this Browns team might offer a nice sense of revenge from the last go-around.