In a Baltimore Ravens preseason game against the Detroit Lions ahead of the 2016 season, Benjamin Watson tripped while running a route over the middle and crumpled to the turf. He was carried off the field, unable to put any weight on his right leg. Now, a decade later, Watson has reflected on that career-changing injury in an Instagram post.

“Ten years ago my Achilles completely ruptured,” Benjamin Watson wrote on Instagram. “I was 35, in my 13th season in the NFL. I missed the entire season, rehabbed, played another 3 seasons but my body was never the same. Today I still deal with the impact of that injury but through it all God continued to show his faithfulness. As I reflect on that time, I’m grateful for relationships with people like Sam Bell and @pairofjeanz who helped me build back as I fought to return to the field.”

Watson wrote that he was grateful for the bonding time with his daughter, his wife’s support, hosting Bible study, and writing his book, though he wished he hadn’t stepped onto that field, adding, “Ten years later I see how God wastes nothing and how abundant long-lasting fruit can grow from our darkest hours.”

Watson had signed with the Baltimore Ravens as their big free-agent addition that offseason, coming off a career year in New Orleans with 74 catches, 825 yards, and six touchdowns. Unfortunately, none of that mattered once he hit the turf and never returned for the entire season.

“There were times in that training room over there, where I felt like, ‘You know, I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to play in the NFL again, at a level that I’m satisfied with, or at all,'” Watson said a year later, looking back on the injury.

It wasn’t the first time injury had derailed him at the worst possible moment. Back in 2004, when the Patriots picked him 32nd overall, Watson thought he’d finally arrived. But he was inactive for New England’s Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals and soon landed on injured reserve with a torn ACL, done for his entire rookie season.

“When they called my name, I thought I’d made it. I started out with the Patriots so excited to play, and then I tore my ACL. With that particular injury, you’re pretty much out for the whole year. I was so disappointed. I really felt like I let people down,” he said.

Watson described his emotions as “miserable” and said that he had a “bad attitude the whole week” after that.

He was so bothered by it that he felt odd to even wear the Super Bowl ring when the Patriots eventually won the title that season, feeling like he hadn’t truly earned it.

Nonetheless, Watson bounced back strong and stuck it out in New England through 2009 before heading to Cleveland, where he became a key piece, leading the Browns in receptions and receiving yards. After a stint in New Orleans, he landed in Baltimore, where the Achilles injury nearly ended his football career.

Watson made his comeback in 2017 with the Ravens and retired after playing the 2018 season with the Saints. But football wasn’t done with him yet. When Rob Gronkowski retired and the Patriots needed a replacement, Watson came out of retirement to rejoin New England, finally hanging up his cleats for good in 2020.

Looking back at his 16-year journey, Watson surpassed 750 receiving yards twice, won a Super Bowl, and finished with 547 catches, 6,058 yards, and 44 touchdowns despite injury setbacks.