Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Texans have already received plenty of calls from teams regarding a potential trade for disgruntled trade for QB Deshaun Watson.
According to Rapoport, the Jets, Bears and Panthers are expected to be among the teams to make a “strong push” to acquire Watson. Rapoport adds that the Dolphins could also be in the mix among others.
Regarding the Panthers, Rapoport says not to sleep on Carolina being aggressive in the market for Watson.
Reports from earlier in the day mentioned that Watson has officially requested a trade from the organization.
Watson reportedly made the request weeks ago, before the Texans hired David Culley as their next head coach, and that has no bearing on Watson’s thinking.
Watson has not spoken with new GM Nick Caserio or EVP Jack Easterby and the Texans have maintained they don’t have interest in trading Watson.
Watson, 25, was taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson by the Texans. He signed a four-year, $13.854 million with the Texans that included a fifth-year option around $17.3 million for the 2021 season.
The Texans signed Watson to a four-year deal worth as much as $177 million heading into the 2020 season, paying him $39 million a year.
In 2020, Watson appeared in all 16 games for the Texans and completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Watson and the Texans as the news is available.
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Come to the Panthers and get you a Lombardi trophy
And how do the Texans take a $41M cap hit on a trade? And is Watson willing to pay back his $28 million signing bonus if he holds out, which the Texans can make him pay back? Or go from a no income tax state to a 15% state income tax bill in NY? Also, what kind of precedent are you setting for allowing players to force their way out like in the NBA?
What the Texans should say is “what are you willing to give us to trade you? And, we want a complete waiver of your DNT clause or forget about it – because if the best deal is with Team X and you refuse the trade, then I guess you don’t want to be traded.”
Would he go to a worse team like the Jets????????????? If he really wants to win, that would last team he needs to go to.