Deshaun Watson has not played since Week 17 of the 2020 season and is entangled in multiple investigations related to alleged sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct. But the Texans quarterback has received three Pro Bowl nods and is just 26. This type of quarterback is rarely available, which will lead to buzz about his destination for a second straight offseason.
The Watson-Dolphins rumblings have quieted, with new Miami HC Mike McDaniel endorsing Tua Tagovailoa as his starter. The Dolphins were believed to be the only team for which Watson waived his no-trade clause last year, but he is now considering other teams. The Buccaneers and Vikings have emerged on the young passer’s radar, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (ESPN+ link). After holding off on trade talks during most of the 2021 offseason, the Texans are prepared to move on.
At this juncture, Tampa Bay would make more sense as a destination. Tom Brady (for now) is retired, and the team has done work on Watson since its glaring quarterback need surfaced. Minnesota still has Kirk Cousins, but the team’s four-year starter is going into a contract year and has been mentioned in trades — albeit ones that would require the Vikings to eat some of their QB1’s salary. Watson is not interested in waiving his no-trade clause for a bad situation, with Fowler identifying a winning setup as the top item on the embattled QB’s checklist.
The Vikings have Cousins tied to a $35MM base salary in 2022 and a whopping $45MM cap number. Watson is also tethered to a $35MM base, and his 2020 extension calls for a $40.4MM cap number. The Vikings would be saddled with only $10MM in dead money by trading Cousins, but convincing another team to part with reasonable draft capital to take on the soon-to-be 34-year-old passer’s full base salary is probably unrealistic. It would be interesting to see Watson commit to a team that just hired a new coach and GM, but the Vikings do have Pro Bowl wideout Justin Jefferson as a top selling point.
Tampa Bay’s path is more complicated. The Bucs are holding out hope Brady reconsiders his retirement and returns for his age-45 season. But if the 22-year veteran drags out that process into the new league year, the Bucs may be forced to move on. Nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup is due for free agency, and without those players’ salaries on the books, the team currently holds barely $3MM in cap space. It will obviously take work for the Bucs to accommodate Watson’s salary, but the team completed a complex financial juggling act to retain its Super Bowl core last year.
I wanna know how slow Is our system that they can’t get his legal issues together after what 5 months. What more do they need to do. Not like he killed some one .
The wheels of our legal system turn reeeeeaaaaaaally slowly when things aren’t settled or dismissed before they go to court, especially in Covid times.
No team in the NFL will consider signing him, He’s done. His best bet if hooking up with a team in the start-up USFL next spring
I think history proves teams are always open to giving second chances despite off field issues if the player has above average talent Kareem Hunt for example. Not agreeing with that just stating he likely isn’t done yet
Wait til you hear what Ben Roethlisberger was like.
I’ve heard some things about him but nothing substantiated.
Ben had 22+ accusers?
As a Pittsburgher, I was never a fan of the guy, as a player or individual. The town is small enough that literally everyone and their grandmother heard of his exploits
But someone within the Steelers pushed the guy to get married, have kids, find Jesus and donate police dogs to clean that image up. I suspect the same will happen with Watson at some point
Fans generally have short memories, especially when their team is winning, and money talks
id be open for him to never play in the NFL again
No one will sign this guy until his legal situation is completed. Even after that’s done he may never play again. Remember Ray Rice??
Ray Rice was clearly guilty caught on tape. Watson has yet to be proven guilty so this reference is stupid.
Ray Rice was near the end of his career and that video sealed the deal.
Watson is in his prime and has “low miles”
They don’t have to sign him he is already under contract. That is why The Texans are looking to trade him.
If Tyrek Hill and Joe Mixon are on NFL teams, then anyone’s past can be pushed aside.
Two dozen women and men said he assaulted them
Tyreek Hill doesn’t have a “past”. He has a crazy ex, who has attempted to derail him with blackmail and false accusations, twice now. He was cleared both times, and last reports were that SHE is now the focus of investigations. It’s amazing how short the attention span of racist slanderers is these days.
How funny is it that a guy with 20+ sex assault complaints can go public about where he wants to play?
Right? I’m shocked his first choice isn’t Vegas.
He could do it in SF in the morning and be released by game time
boom
That’s nice. Is he also open to spending awhile in a jail cell? Scumbag.
I have been through the f’n ringer with this dumb team but if the Vikings traded for rapey Watson I am just done. I’ve threatened that 100 times in the last 30 years but now I’d mean it. Maybe start getting into trains or something.
I think Vikings or any team right now would be crazy…im not sure if use words trains in comments about watson though…lol
Watson’s scheduled to get deposed under oath next week. Wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly reached settlements with all those women in the next few days.
There have been reports already they tried in January to reach settlements of 100k, many turned down.
If he settles, I’d bet the house he goes for “time served”. That has to be the only reason he sat out the entire season. Texans probably telling teams this is the plan too so that they don’t back away from the table. Dolphins were that close to a deal if he settled and I bet his argument with the league would have been I sat out x amount of games already. “Time served”.
That’s just dumb and if Roger does that he’ll turn even more viewers off. Still waiting on the discipline for Sherman…
I agree. But you have to think there’a more to him sitting than just because he wanted out.
The only problem being that he hasn’t served one minute of time. He’s been a free man since this whole disaster came to light. Try to keep up
And people serve time in prison without being sentenced and get released with time served. I said it was a possible ploy by Watson. Didn’t say it was a good one. Try and follow along.
Watson should go for broke and settle with the women to just get inevitable over with
Yeah thats the answer just slide it under the carpet..buy your way out.
Dude is going to end up in the wrong DMs one day and become the basis of an episode of CSI/Criminal Minds when he gets his willy snipped.
He’s from warm weather areas how would he do in a Minnesota winter? They have to use engine block warmers for Pete’s sake!
They play in a dome.
Here we go again with the daily Watson stories. Let it rest until he puts his legal troubles away…
And if he doesn’t get his way, he’ll just force himself inside Viking headquarters.
They first need to work out the arrangements for weekend furloughs.
Eagles?
Nah Watson wants to win games
Nah Watson thinks the women in those cities are easier targets
He’ll fly them in from other cities
If Deshaun Watson goes to the Bucs yall gunna see me on the news
I can see you wearing one of those little maid outfits and sneaking in to give Watson a massage.
I’d hate to see what else is going on in your head