Monday morning at NRG Stadium, Texans head coach Bill O'Brien confirmed the news, as both defenders went down with injuries in Sunday night's loss to the Chiefs.
"To have their seasons cut short because of an injury, it's tough," O'Brien said. "But, and that's a big but, this football team understands that it is the 'Next man up' philosophy."
Mercilus suffered a chest injury early in the opening series against Kansas City, while Watt injured his knee later in the same possession. Just like that, two key playmakers up front were gone for the year. But O'Brien emphasized that there's no time for the Texans to sit around and feel sorry for themselves.