So much for the Miami Dolphins acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans before the NFL trade deadline.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday, citing a source, that Miami will not make a trade for the star quarterback, despite a recent report from the Houston Chronicle stating the Dolphins and Texans had agreed to compensation on a deal.
Miami did its due diligence on Watson and had talks with Houston, per Schefter, but Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ultimately made the final decision to not move forward. Instead, the ‘Fins will stick with Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who recently returned from injury.
Ross reportedly had contingencies that needed to be met for any trade involving Watson, presumably related to the three-time Pro Bowl selection’s ongoing legal issues. Watson is facing allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct in 22 active lawsuits.
Schefter added Tuesday, shortly before the 4 p.m. NFL trade deadline, that Watson was expected to remain on Houston’s roster for the remainder of the 2021 season. The Texans could revisit trading Watson this offseason, at which point Miami again might emerge as a potential landing spot.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport also reported Tuesday, citing a source, that Watson not settling his legal situation resulted in him not being traded and that the 26-year-old will remain with Houston until the offseason.
Ross received permission to speak with Watson, according to Rapoport, but not until Monday night. And by then, it reportedly was too late for the sides to work out a trade.
Watson, the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, has yet to be active for a game this season. He’s coming off a 2020 campaign in which he threw for 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
