A Deshaun Watson trade has long seemed inevitable but the quarterback being prepared to sit out games in 2021 all but forces the Houston Texans’ hand.
Anyone keeping an ear to the ground with Deshaun Watson likely believes that the quarterback is going to be traded at some point this offseason, likely prior to the 2021 NFL Draft. However, the Houston Texans have been singing a diferent song, remaining steadfast that they have no plans of trading the young superstar.
Essentially, there has been a long-standing argument regarding who has the leverage in this situation: Deshaun Watson or the Texans. And the best argument that has been made has been that, if the quarterback is truly willing to forfeit game checks and sit out during the regular season, then he is the one holding the power.
As it turns out, the assumption that is the case appears to be true. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported (h/t Bleacher Report) that the relationship between Watson and the Texans is “too far gone” and that the quarterback is willing to miss games in the 2021 regular season.
Again, that has long been what people expected the case to be. But if Watson has conveyed this to Houston, this changes everything. It puts the pressure on the franchise to make this deal while they can still maximize the value they get in return.
Heat keeps getting turned up on Texans to make a Deshaun Watson trade.
With an unhappy star quarterback and an irreparable situation, the Texans have not been in a good situation with Deshaun Watson for some time. In fact, you could make the argument that it’s always been in the organization’s best interest to trade the quarterback, regardless of if he was prepared to sit out or not.
But with Watson willing to miss games this season, that changes everything. That means the options for Houston are having a lackluster roster that has been mismanaged while one of the best young quarterbacks in the league sits on the bench or trading that quarterback for assets that can help the franchise rebuild. Comparing those two choices is no contest.
Subsequently, the Texans need to get off of their soap box and start working to make a trade. They need to do more than listen to their voicemail and pursue the best trade possible. Essentially, Houston has no choice in the matter. With all the chips on the table, the Texans are only hurting themselves the longer they refuse to admit that trading Watson is their best and most viable option.