The New England Patriots won’t need to worry about another top-tier quarterback joining the AFC.
The Cleveland Browns have been eliminated from the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, according to multiple reports Thursday.
Cleveland met with Watson, who is seeking a trade from the Houston Texans, earlier in the week, and a subsequent social media post from quarterback Baker Mayfield fueled speculation about Watson potentially joining the Browns.
The Pro Bowler’s other reported suitors all were NFC South clubs: the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers. All three met with Watson, with New Orleans doing so twice.
Watson owns a no-trade clause and thus can dictate his next landing spot. Barring a late surprise, that spot will be in the NFC. That benefits the Patriots, who already play in a conference loaded with high-end quarterback talent.
The conference’s impressive roster of signal-callers swelled last week when Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos, joining the likes of Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, Josh Allen in Buffalo, Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, Lamar Jackson in Baltimore and Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Whichever team he joins, it’s unclear whether Watson will be available for Week 1. A grand jury last weekend declined to indict the 26-year-old on 22 allegations of sexual misconduct, but he still could face civil charges and/or supplementary discipline from the NFL.
