Before Matthew Stafford was traded to the Los Angeles Rams and Carson Wentz became a member of the Indianapolis Colts, it was Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson who looked like he was on the move.
Although Watson’s ongoing saga has been the most discussed one of the offseason, thus far, no deal has come to fruition.
One reason why trading Watson has proven to be more difficult than one might imagine it should be is because of the strict criteria all parties involved seem to have.
The Texans have explicitly spelled out what specifically they are looking for in return for Watson. Teams can either meet that asking price or not, but if they don’t, a trade will not happen.
Similarly, Watson has his own set of terms. According to ESPN Upstate, the 25-year-old will only accept a move to one of three teams.
“It’s been confirmed by sources that Deshaun Watson would approve trades to the Jets, Dolphins, and Panthers,” ESPN Upstate tweeted out.
Klay knows how to do Valentine’s Day right. https://t.co/Gxt1gRLTX2
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 15, 2021
The good news there is that all three teams that Watson would accept a trade to just so happen to be his three most vocal admirers.
You will recall, Miami was one of two potential suitors for Watson dating back to him initially expressing he wanted out of Houston. Increasing backlash towards Tua Tagovailoa within the Dolphins locker room made this move logical for all parties involved.
New York also makes a ton of sense. A big red flag as it pertains to Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has made many wonder whether the Jets investing a No. 2 overall selection in him would be a mistake. The organization could side-step that potential landmine by utilizing that draft pick in a trade for Watson, ultimately landing a proven quarterback in the process.
Yikes. Not great. https://t.co/TbKcmHXfyt
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 9, 2021
Finally, the Panthers have been a much whispered-about dark horse in the Watson Sweepstakes for a while now – but have definitely gotten move vocal about their interest over the last few weeks.
Last year Watson threw for a career-high 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Given his age and what he had to work with as far as the Texans’ roster, it’s safe to assume he will only continue to improve from here.
Who will he ultimately play for when all the dust settles this offseason? A final answer should come over the next few months.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
