Houston Texans: Will Fuller brought excitement to offense

When one thinks about the time Will Fuller spent with the Houston Texans, there are many words to describe his tenure with the team. “Lost opportunity” is one way to describe Fuller’s tenure with the Texans because of games missed due to injuries or suspensions.

Remember, the past couple seasons Fuller was well on his way to a 1,000-yard season before it was cut short due to varying issues. Even with some of those somber memories, there is also some positivity when one thinks about the former Houston Texans wide receiver, and that is excitement.

Fuller just signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins after the Texans decided not to franchise tag the wide receiver this offseason, ending a five-year relationship as Fuller was a first-round draft pick by the franchise back in 2016.

What was exciting about Will Fuller when he was healthy was the notion that on any play he would be able to to make the big play and score points for the Texans. Though he was not able to gain a 1,000-yard season in any of his years with the Houston Texans, on 12 occasions Fuller had games of 100-plus yards receiving, and within those games he had one game where he caught for over 200 yards.

For his five years in Houston, Fuller totaled 3,110 yards and 24 touchdowns on 209 receptions (333 targets) in 5 regular-season games. Fuller averaged 14.9 yards per reception, and his receptions resulted in 139 first downs. In five years while a member of the Texans, Fuller had just one fumble, which the Texans kept possession of.

Houston Texans: Will Fuller once had a 200-plus yard game

Maybe the most exciting game for Will Fuller was a game on Oct. 6, 2019 where he caught 14 passes on 16 targets for 217 yards with three touchdowns. That game, his longest reception was 44 yards, and in the contest against the Atlanta Falcons, Fuller really showed what he was capable of achieving.

Also for Fuller, in at least once in each of his five seasons with the Texans he had a reception of at least 50 yards, where in 2020, his final season in Houston, Fuller had a 77-yard reception against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Maybe his most memorable reception came with a high cost as on a Thursday Night Football game against the Dolphins, Fuller tore his ACL when he made a great play for a touchdown on a 73-yard reception. His landing while catching the pass caused his season to end around the midway point of the ’18 season.

For some reason, that catch will always stand out, and it also shows just what a shame it was Will Fuller couldn’t stay healthy, as he could have been much more than what he became with the Texans.

If Fuller stays healthy and avoids losing time on the field with another suspension, the wide receiver will do very well in Miami on his one-year deal. This is an important “prove it” deal for Fuller in 2021, because though the Texans stepped away from him, if he puts on a clinic in ’21, many teams will be looking his direction.

The Houston Texans should have been thankful for the time they had with Fuller, and though it didn’t turn out as well as it could have, there were some good times and big plays, and he helped the Texans gain some wins.