Deshaun Watson is the biggest name to watch heading into Tuesday afternoon’s NFL trade deadline, and the Houston Texans remain open to moving their star quarterback. That doesn’t mean they will.
ESPN’s Jordan Schultz spoke with AFC and NFC executives on Tuesday morning who said they do not anticipate Watson being traded ahead of the deadline. The reason is that the Texans have not lowered their asking price. It has been widely reported that they want at least three first-round draft picks for Watson.
Schultz noted that Texans general manager Nick Caserio would be fine with waiting until the offseason to trade Watson. That may be the most realistic outcome at this point.
Watson’s legal situation remains unresolved. He is facing sexual assault lawsuits from multiple women, and some have filed formal complaints with the police. Prosecutors have yet to say if Watson will be charged. The NFL has not placed the quarterback on the Commissioner’s Exempt list, as the league has not conducted its own investigation and likely won’t do so until the criminal investigation concludes.
With teams not knowing if Watson will be suspended this season, next year or both, a potential trade is far more complicated. Add in the fact that Watson is reportedly only willing to waive his no-trade clause for one team, and you can see why a deal looks unlikely.
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