The Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson seem to be heading toward an inevitable divorce this offseason, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Thursday afternoon that the star Houston Texans quarterback still wants out of Houston.
Deshaun Watson officially requested a trade from the Texans on Jan. 28, and it does not look like his feelings have changed in regards to the direction of the organization. His trade request was made public just one day after the Texans hired new head coach David Culley, and even though the two have had a conversation since then, there is no changing Watson’s mind.
Deshaun Watson is done with Texans
This ongoing saga will very much be a topic of discussion all offseason, but will the Texans actually trade Watson? The Texans remain committed to him as their quarterback, and are not even speaking to other teams that are interested in acquiring Watson via trade, according to reports.
Although Watson is under contract, he could very well decide to sit out the season if the Texans refuse to trade him. So, if you’re the Texans, why not trade him while his value is at its peak to get the maximum amount of assets in return? It’s never easy to trade one of the league’s best quarterbacks, but if Watson remains firm on being traded, the Texans need to start taking some phone calls.
Who will be the next franchise quarterback?
Depending on the Houston Texans trade partner, they could easily land a Top 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft this year, and select Deshaun Watson’s replacement. Many NFL scouts have quarterbacks like BYU’s Zach Wilson and Ohio State’s Justin Fields going in the early part of the first round, both of which could be on the Texans radar.
It seems inevitable that Deshaun Watson will force the Texans to trade him at some point. The Texans need to forego their stubbornness, and need to not wait until it’s too late. The last thing anybody wants is for the Texans to acquire zero draft capital for this year’s draft, and not even have a quality starting quarterback because Watson decides to sit out.
The Houston Texans could look very different in the near future, and it will definitely be something worth keeping an eye on. Here’s to hoping they can come to their senses and do what’s best for the team sooner rather than later.