Texans in process of moving on from Deshaun Watson?

It is unclear if Deshaun Watson will play at all in 2021 after he faced allegations of sexual assault by multiple women. And even if he does, it may not be for the Houston Texans.

During an appearance on “SportsCenter” Sunday morning, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that there is a belief around the NFL that the Texans have begun “slowly moving on” from Watson. Fowler said Houston is very high on rookie quarterback Davis Mills, according to Bleacher Report’s Tyler Conway.

The Texans drafted Mills in the third round, so it would be a surprise if he is not on their roster in 2021. They also signed veteran Tyrod Taylor earlier in the offseason and are likely planning to go into Week 1 with him as their starter.

“A couple of months ago, the Texans were turning down everybody who was calling them about Deshaun Watson. Carolina was willing to give them the world; they said no,” Fowler reported. “They’ve been far less committal recently. They don’t know when Watson’s even going to be cleared to play. The league will consider putting Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt List later this summer if his case is still going on.”

Watson is facing lawsuits from 22 women who say they provided massage therapy for him in the past. The NFL is conducting its own investigation of the allegations, and Watson will almost certainly be suspended if not placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. It is unlikely that any team will be willing to trade for him without more clarity.

We know that at least these eight teams expressed trade interest in Watson at one point. Many of those teams have already gone in other directions while Watson’s future remains muddled.