Deshaun Watson, Houston's versatile run-pass quarterback threat, signed a long-term contract Saturday with the Texans, setting up a season-opening NFL showdown between the league's richest-ever players. The NFL Network reported a four-year contract extension worth $160 million with $111 million in guaranteed money. ESPN says the four-year deal was worth $177 million with same amount guaranteed. Either way, it makes 24-year-old Watson the second-highest paid player in NFL history, trailing only the 12-year deal worth more than $500 million that Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed with the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The high-priced talent gets an epic showcase on Thursday when the Texans visit the Chiefs for the NFL's 2020 regular-season opener. Watson's base salary of nearly $40 million will make him the top-paid NFL player until expiring in 2025 and give him a chance at free agency or a new extenstion sooner than Mahomes, whose payday brought longer-term security. "It was always my dream to play in the NFL," Watson said in a statement on Twitter confirming the signing. "Today I couldn't be more honored and humbled to sign a long-term deal in Houston, the city that I've grown to love so much and now call home. "I promise to do everything I can not only to bring a championship to this great city but also leave a legacy of helping positively impact this community." Watson was hampered by a knee injury in his 2017 rookie season but has led the Texans to the playoffs each of the past two seasons. The Texans have gone 21-10 in his 31 starts over the past two seasons, with a total of 8,017 passing yards and 52 touchdowns compared to 21 interceptions with a 67.8 completion percentage. Watson also ran 181 times for 964 yards and 12 touchdowns over the past two seasons. js/rcw