It’s no surprise that things are contentious behind the scenes between star quarterback Deshaun Watson and his Houston Texans. As you already likely know, Watson has officially requested a trade. The reigning NFL passing champion could very well be on the move here soon.
However, there’s been reports that Watson will not show up for any off-season activities should Houston opt not to trade the talented 25-year-old signal caller. There’s also been reports that he might sit out next season.
Watson’s agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First, responded to those reports via social media on Monday. What he had to say was rather interesting.
The original report from the host of the Dan Sileo Show on USA Radio Networks specifically pointed to Mulugheta telling the Texans that his client won’t report for off-season activities in Houston. That’s apparently not the case.
This doesn’t mean that Watson and his camp are on the verge of attempting to mend fences with Houston’s brass. Instead, it’s a representation of Mulugheta wanting to clarify what he deems to be fake news.
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Where we stand on a Deshaun Watson trade
“The Broncos, Panthers, 49ers, Washington, and the Colts tried to get Stafford. They presumably will try to get Watson,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted on Monday. “The Bears, Jets, and Patriots also were in the conversation for Stafford. Those teams presumably will be in the conversation for Watson.”
Once Matthew Stafford was dealt from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams over the weekend, attention immediately turned to Watson potentially being dealt.
The Carolina Panthers reportedly offered up the eighth overall pick and change for Stafford. While it would take a whole lot more to land Deshaun Watson, this is a clear indication that new general manager Scott Fitterer is looking to make a major splash.
Of those Florio mentions, it stands to reason that the Indianapolis Colts are not a likely option. I have a hard time believing that Houston would trade Watson within the division.
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While the 49ers didn’t officially put in an offer for Stafford, they were talking about sending multiple picks to Detroit for the quarterback. We’re hearing rumors that San Francisco is looking to upgrade from Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. He’s since been linked to the New England Patriots on a near never-ending loop.
Speaking of New England, it could be an interesting potential landing spot for Deshaun Watson given that new Texans general manager Nick Caserio spent his entire NFL career in the Patriots’ front office before signing on with Houston last month.
There’s certainly a lot of moving parts as it relates to Watson being traded. Houston’s brass is publicly pushing back against the idea of moving him. However, it’s more likely that said public sentiment is to simply up the ante in a trade.
As of right now, Houston is said to be demanding multiple first-round picks and at least a star young defender in a trade for Watson. If a blockbuster is finalized, the Texans are looking at acquiring one of the largest bounties in a trade in modern NFL history.
As for Mulugheta’s comments, there’s no reason to believe this changes anything behind the scenes. Rather, he wanted to clarify a report that was attributed to him.
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