Deshaun Watson apparently is well into his thinking of life after Houston.
Watson, whose relationship with the Texans might be fractured beyond repair, reportedly has asked for a trade and is willing to sit out the 2021 season if the request is not fulfilled. At this point, Watson might be open to playing anywhere besides Houston, but he does have a list of preferred landing spots, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler on Friday shed light on the reported list, with two standing out above the others.
“I checked in with a source who said Deshaun Watson has a list of teams that he’s intrigued by,” Fowler said on “Get Up.” “You know, he’s not pigeon-holing anything, but he’s got a list. I didn’t get all the teams, but I was told the Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers are two of them. I also asked the source about the Jets and the Dolphins because they have the most draft capital this year, the next few years. I was told the Jets — eh, probably not. Maybe more so the Dolphins as far as viability.
“Watson knows he has to wait this out. He’s got the no-trade clause in his contract, but it’s all about the Texans continuing to tell teams — and they believe them — that they’re not going to trade Deshaun Watson. I’ve talked to several execs who say they think GM Nick Caserio is dug in here.”
Fowler’s report counters one recently made by the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain. McClain believes if the Texans do swing a Watson trade — which the organization currently seems very much opposed to — it would be with the Jets. As Fowler notes, New York has a wealth of assets and is equipped to execute what likely would be an unprecedented trade, if it ever came to fruition.
This situation has been plenty messy over the last month-plus, and it sounds like it could become even more so as the new league year nears.
