Grand jury decides not to indict Texans QB Deshaun Watson

As of Friday morning, would-be buyers understandably weren't rushing to make a trade for Houston Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson as he continued to face 22 lawsuits alleging acts of sexual assault and misconduct and 10 criminal complaints.

That could change now that the 26-year-old who didn't play a snap during the 2021 campaign following his offseason trade request has won a significant legal victory.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and others have confirmed a grand jury decided not to indict Watson after hearing evidence on Friday.

Earlier this week, the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers were linked with Watson. Seattle needs a new QB1 after agreeing to trade one-time Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, while the Panthers are looking for a significant upgrade at the sport's most important position. Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he would need to sign off on any deal.

The Texans reportedly want a package that includes three first-round draft picks and up to seven total assets for Watson.

As Michael David Smith noted for Pro Football Talk, Watson could still lose civil lawsuits brought against him and ultimately face an NFL suspension for an unknown portion of the 2022 season.

It's unclear if Friday's developments will cause any teams allegedly out of the Watson sweepstakes earlier in the day to reconsider their stances ahead of the weekend. The new league year opens this coming Wednesday.

Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, reacted to the news via a released statement: