Let’s rewind the clocks for a second.

It’s October of 2017, the leaves are changing as the sun continues to scorch the city of Houston, Texas. Across the country, the Houston Astros are sitting inside a visiting locker room at Fenway Park, watching a football game take place. e. The Boston Red Sox defeated them 10-3 in embarrassing fashion.

Inside NRG Stadium, the Houston Texans defense prepare for another Kansas City Chiefs first down. Quarterback Alex Smith has gone 3-of-3 on the drive while the pass rush can’t seem to find an answer on slowing them down.

There’s a different feel in the air for the team’s front seven than in recent past. They’re missing a member of their terrifying pass rush. Whitney Mercilus is now inside a medical tent with his shoulder pads off. He’s being test for a pectoral injury, which costs him his season.

There’s a little under eight minutes left in the first quarter as Kansas City is driving down the field. The television shows the offense inside the Texans 15-yard marker and pouncing.

It’s second-and-3 as the Chiefs offensive line opens a running lane for rookie Kareem Hunt to slide through. The league-leading rusher is swallowed in the backfield and a slew of Steel Blue jerseys. Fourth-year pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney leads the charge as Hunt slowly collects himself and heads back to the offensive huddle.

Across from Clowney, J.J. Watt is beaming at his young protege making plays. He points and gives him a nod, knowing they are in-sync, ready to terrorize the Chiefs quarterback for the first time tonight in this upcoming third-and-5 situation.

Watt times the shotgun snap a tad second behind. Smith views his options as the three-time defensive end, lined up on the inside shoulder of right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, works up-field off the outside shoulder of right guard, Cameron Erving. He plants his foot and begins to work up the corner to hit Schwartz’s outside. The right tackle plants his hand inside Watt’s face mask before the Texan defender falls to the ground.

He quickly stands for less than a second before falling to the turf again. Meanwhile, pressure piles in on Smith from outside linebacker, Brennan Scarlett. He releases a throw to the end zone just as Scarlett delivers a hit that knocks him to the ground. It falls short, less than a finger’s grasp away from tight end Travis Kelce.

Fourth down.

But Watt isn’t getting up. He remains on his knees in agony, pounding away at the fake grass while rubber pellets spew from the ground. The Texans training staff is sprinting onto the field to see what could be the problem with their franchise star. He press their heads toward the grass as Watt continues to thrive back and forth trying to explain what went wrong. The trainers manage to turn Watt over onto his back and begin stretching his legs.

NRG Stadium is silent. Fans are holding their breath wondering what is happening down on the field. Before them lies the man who singled-handedly raised over $30 million for Hurricane Harvey victims in just sheer weeks. Through thick and thin, the near 300-pound folklore has been the bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Before Mercilus, before Clowney, before coach Bill O’Brien and the defense forged from the minds of former/future defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, then-defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel and then-general manager Rick Smith, there was J.J., a former walk-on tight end turned MVP pass rusher.

All of Houston is silent as they wait to see what’s next.

Under the trainers’ shoulders, Watt is able to stand. The crowd explodes with cheers of joy as they can breathe again. Across the field, fans wearing the big 99 on their chest clap and rejoice that the medical cart won’t be necessary. Tears are swelling in Watt’s eyes are he begins to mutter something to the training staff as they head to the locker room. He manages to put weight on his leg while fans cover their eyes. He winces as another member of Houston’s training staff brings him to the locker room to be evaluated.

Watt won’t return to the game. It’s safe to say that fans would expect nothing less from their fearless leader. Less than a quarter later, the television flashes a view of Watt entering an ambulance on crutches. He is going to get a second opinion on what the trainer already fears. Watt has suffered a fractured fibula that will require surgery at the moment.

The ambulance pull out of NRG Drive, red and white lights flashing and sirens blaring into the October sky. Watt’s comeback season is officially over.

Gone another defender, gone another year, enter another blow for the City of Houston.

Coming full circle

On Thursday evening, the Texans will suit up inside of Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs in the preseason match-up. The Astros will be home this time, suiting up for another opportunity to bring home a second World Series Trophy. Their biggest opponent to stop them? The Boston Red Sox.

And while perhaps the story will have a few rewrites and change in the cast on both sides, the narrative heading into Thursday night’s battle still lies on number 99.

Before a snap has yet to take place, Fox Sports One commentator Cris Carter makes a bold prediction. Just two years removed from a serious back injury and less than year from breaking his leg, the Hall of Fame wide receiver delivers words of hope for the city of Houston and perhaps Watt himself.

“He (Watt) hasn’t been able to utilize his talent in the big games,” Carter said. “Can all theses guy stay on the field? If they do, they should have a great defense. If they can be a top eight or top 10 defense, I believe the Texans can be in the playoffs.”

Carter isn’t the only person who believes that the Texans can be special with the return of the 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year. In June, NFL.com released an article saying that Watt could return to MVP caliber form in 2018.

“When’s the last time we saw peak J.J. Watt?” NFL writer Dan Hanzus wrote. “You have to go all the way back to the 2015 season, when Houston’s hometown hero was putting the final touches on a four-year run of dominance that rivals that of any defensive player in NFL history. At 29, there’s still reason to believe he can be that player again after back and leg injuries wiped out most of his last two seasons.”

In training camp up at The Greenbrier, O’Brien addressed the media Monday afternoon and spoke highly of Watt’s recovery and turnaround this past off-season.

“Those ’14 and ’15 seasons were arguably two of the best seasons any player at any position has ever had,” O’Brien told NBC Sports’ Peter King at Texans camp. “I remember we’re playing Baltimore in ’14, and they’re driving, and it’s late, and our guys are just exhausted. I remember J.J. looked over at me and basically said, If you give me a timeout here, I’ll get to Flacco. So I call time. We get a breather. That next play, J.J. strip-sacks Flacco. Game over. We win.”

Even Las Vegas, Sin City and the world of legal gambling, doesn’t count Watt out. After two years, two major injuries and a grand total of five games and 1.5 sacks, Vegas odds-makers place Watt as the favorite at 5-1 odds to take home his fourth Defensive MVP award.

Which leads us to the big question: is Watt capable of being the league’s MVP?

According to the man himself, he even sees the doubts that lie ahead of the uphill battle he’ll climb from the past.

“I don’t expect anybody to be convinced,” Watt said, according to NBC Sports. “I don’t expect anybody outside to have any reason to believe that. I’m not going to make any proclamations about comparing things to the past or what I’m going to do in the future, but I will say I feel very good.”

Having confidence in himself will be key. The Texans need that form of Watt to return. When on the field, Watt is terrifying as a pass rusher, collecting no less than 10.5 sacks from 2012 to 2015. His skills are nearly impossible to describe as the former 11th overall pick can win inside and out.

From everything being released from training camp, it seems his health is trending upwards. Watt has gone full pads since arriving in W. Va. and has been cleared medically to play by team staff. In practice, Watt has rapidly regained his ability to attack offensive linemen head on and force his away into the Texans backfield.

Practice one thing while live snaps are another however. Thursday night, fans should not expect to see Watt play and begin Watt Watch 3.0, no matter how much the defensive end wishes to play.

“I want to get a couple of live reps,” Watt said after practice last Saturday. “It doesn’t need to be a lot but I think it’s important to at least see some live bullets before you go out there and have some guys flying at you for real.”

Perhaps the Texans are biding their time to release the beast. Perhaps they are cautious after Watt’s two season-ending injuries to rush him back out to the field. Or maybe they realize that preseason games are meant for just those players fighting for a roster spot and not the franchise faces.

Any reason could be valid with little argument to follow. Outside of a few disgruntled Texans fans, most of the Bulls of Parade nation should understand. This isn’t another run of the mill NFL player, it’s one of the few who have earned the status of “elite”.

While Watt will prepare to make his long-awaited return to the field, let’s applaud the work he’s done off of it. In 2016, Watt underwent two back surgeries within three months to fix a herniated disc. Within three months, Watt was training once again to hopefully make a return if Houston’s playoff run continued.

Awaiting training camp in 2017, Hurricane Harvey wrecked the city of Houston to it’s core. Without even hesitating, the All-Pro sent up an account, donated over $100,000 out of his own pocket and helped rebuild the home away from home. On the final day of donations, over $37 million dollars sat waiting to Houston to receive.

The man who has asked nothing from an organization over the years of consistent failures and flops dedicated the 2017 season to those who lost more than just a game.

Before the Texans and the NFL lies a man who doesn’t need to bear a fourth MVP award. He’s won more than that already by just walking back onto the field for his eighth season. It would be nice though to see the once dominant defender break the tie between him and Lawrence Taylor.

But after two major procedures and little to no tape in the past two seasons, it’s hard to bet in favor of him, even if you adore him. Watt is human like the rest of us. He ages, he aches and he will steadily decline from the player he once was.

A bust is already waiting for Watt in Canton, Ohio. All he has to do is hang up his cleats, wait five years and listen for a knock on the door on Super Bowl Eve. With new talent emerging each season, including in his own organization, Watt will be the face of the league on the field for just a few more years. He’ll make the most of his time and hopefully, he’ll find a way to bring Houston’s defense to their first Super Bowl.

It’s easy to look at No. 99 and call him a superhero. He’s built like one and his off the field work is one for all people, young and old to admire. If he can remain healthy, you can expect him to return to Orlando for his fifth Pro-Bowl in February. You can expect him to compete for his fifth first-team All-Pro nod. It’s not far-fetched to see Watt back in the limelight of the fans and the players.

But coaches are different. They aren’t always as kind as those who watch from afar. They see the X’s and O’s on the field, instead of in the outpour for tweets and texts.

The bottom line is the return of Justin James Watt, the person, is already an MVP caliber move for both the Texans and the NFL. The return of Watt, the player, is far from the MVP status heading into Kansas City on Thursday evening.