Will Fuller has never played 16 games in his four-year career. Can he break that streak in season five?
The speedy wideout said Tuesday that he's healthy after the latest offseason surgery.
"As far as my health, I'm feeling good. The surgery I had at the beginning of the offseason, it's not bothering me anymore at all," he said, via the team's official transcript. "If I can play 16 games, which I believe I will this year, the sky is the limit. I say the same thing all the time, when I'm out there, I just try to do my best to help the team win and wherever that lands me, stat wise or whatever, at the send of the season, we'll see when we get there."
Fuller's talent is undeniable, owning the speed to strike fear in defensive backs. In 42 career games, he's averaged 14.3 yards per reception for his career and generated 16 touchdowns. The Texans offense has averaged 5.6 more points per game in tilts Fuller's played.
Being on the field, however, has been his biggest weakness. The 26-year-old missed five games last year and has averaged just a shade over 10 games played per season. The wideout, however, doesn't let the injuries suck the joy from the game.
"Being injured sucks, but I'm confident," Fuller said. "Every time I go back out on the field, I don't think about what happened last week or if I was injured last week. I always feel like I'm going to have a big game or whatever. I don't really dwell on injuries. I know they happen, but I always stay confident and just try to do my best to help the team win."
One big question is how much the presence of DeAndre Hopkins played in allowing Fuller to dominate when healthy. The eye test suggests it played a big part. Fuller, however, believes that with Hopkins gone, there will be more targets to gobble up.
"Obviously with Hop not being here anymore, that's going to open up things for everybody," he said. "He had a lot of targets, so those targets have to be filled up with other guys. We all are going to be able to get it done and I feel like it's going to be a great season this year."
With Nuk gone, the Texans receiver corps looks vastly different, with Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills, Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee. It's a group that brings a lot of speed to the table, even if it lacks a dominant go-to target.
"I think DBs, they're always going to fear speed, so having all that speed on the field at one time, I don't know what they're going to be able to do," Fuller noted. "We'll see when we start playing all together."
Whether it's a new receiver group in Houston or Fuller's ability to stay healthy, there is much to be determined for the Texans' wideouts in the coming months.
