Deshaun Watson

Seahawks Interested In Deshaun Watson

March 9th, 2022 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 availability is very much in doubt, another team is set to enter the mix for the embattled Texans quarterback. A day after trading Russell Wilson, the Seahawks are interested in acquiring Watson, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

The Seahawks obtained two first-round picks, two seconds and a fifth for Wilson, whom the Broncos landed to finally fill their quarterback void. The Broncos were not believed to be interested in Watson after his sexual assault and sexual misconduct allegations surfaced last year, but other teams remain in the mix. After the Dolphins bowed out, the Panthers and Eagles have been connected to the Pro Bowl talent. And the Seahawks now have some additional resources to pursue a new starter. The Texans have not reduced their asking price, eyeing three first-round picks and more assets.

Watson, 26, is set to appear before a grand jury Friday, which will also feature developments in the quarterback’s civil cases. An indictment would mean Watson’s football career will again slide to the back burner. A stay on the commissioner’s exempt list would likely follow, opening the door to the prospect of multiple lost seasons for the one-time Houston centerpiece player. Even without an indictment, it is hard to imagine the passer avoiding a lengthy suspension in 2022.

Watson’s off-field issues have not stopped teams from entering the fray. With Wilson and Aaron Rodgers off the trade market, he is by far the biggest name available. The Panthers have been connected to Watson for over a year, and the quarterback-needy team discussed a deal with the Texans before the 2021 trade deadline. The Eagles also looked into Watson extensively last year. Watson did not waive his no-trade clause for anyone but the Dolphins, however. Now that they are out of the picture, he will need to reconsider other options. The Seahawks being a new suitor adds intrigue to this complex situation. The Commanders were also interested in Watson, per Wilson, but they have since traded for Carson Wentz.

Seattle used the same starting quarterback for all but three games over the past 10 years. Wilson made nine Pro Bowls and took the team to two Super Bowls and eight playoff brackets. Only one season elapsed between the Matt Hasselbeck and Wilson eras, making the current circumstances rather unusual for one of the 21st century’s most successful franchises. From this angle, it makes sense the Seahawks would pursue Watson. The Broncos included Drew Lock in the Wilson trade, but the Seahawks will surely aim higher. It appears they are willing to gauge Watson’s interest.

Watson was connected to Minnesota and Tampa Bay as destinations, though not much has emerged on those fronts in recent weeks. Seattle joins those teams in having impact wide receivers and having made recent postseason appearances, and the team plays in a division that houses Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray and a 49ers team that just ventured to the NFC title game. With just Lock in the picture for now, the Seahawks are well off the pace.

Latest On Texans’ Deshaun Watson

March 8th, 2022 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Deshaun Watson will plead the fifth in Friday’s civil proceedings, attorney Rusty Hardin says (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). For his part, Hardin says this is ultimately comes down to a timing conflict.

“I’m not going to allow him to testify (in the civil cases) until the grand jury completes its investigation,” Hardin said.

The district attorney investigating Watson will present her case to a grand jury on Friday, the same day as the civil deposition. Hardin says this is standard practice — as Watson’s lawyer, he cannot advise the Texans QB to testify in the civil hearings before the grand jury investigation plays out.

The Broncos — once believed to be a Watson suitor — took themselves out of the market today by trading for longtime Seahawks superstar Russell Wilson. That deal will see quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant go to Seattle along with two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-round pick for Wilson and a fourth-round choice.

Given Watson’s inactivity and off-the-field situation, it’s hard to imagine the Texans topping that haul. Previously, the Texans were said to be seeking three first-round picks — plus starting-caliber help — in any deal for Watson. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have also shut the door on the embattled QB. For his part, Watson has been said to like the Buccaneers and Vikings as landing spots. Ultimately, the Panthers may be his most logical destination.

Despite all the issues, we do know that multiple teams are interested in Watson. At least some of those clubs are willing to trade for Watson before the civil suits are resolved, but they all want to see how things play out on Friday with regards to charges.

Dolphins GM Talks Watson, Payton/Brady Rumors, Howard

March 3rd, 2022 at 5:05pm CST by Ben Levine

THURSDAY: Set to pursue a media gig, Payton indicated to veteran NFL reporter Jason Cole (via Twitter) he would “probably not” have been interested in this Dolphins setup had he been given the chance to speak with the team. Once Payton lands with a network, the subject of his next coaching stop figures to come up fairly frequently.

WEDNESDAY: It’s already been a busy offseason for the Dolphins. The team hired a new head coach in Mike McDaniel, dealt with the fallout of former HC Brian Flores‘ lawsuit, and brushed off continued rumors regarding their quarterback position.

While speaking with reporters today, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier addressed many of the major story lines surrounding the organization. Most notably, the GM acknowledged that “the door is shut” on acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Texans. The organization has been continually connected to Watson over the past year, but the team’s decision makers seem focused on moving forward with Tua Tagovailoa.

Grier also addressed a recent report that indicated the organization pursued Sean Payton as their head coach and Tom Brady as their starting quarterback. While the GM discussed the team’s brief pursuit of the coach (which we detail below), he said the Dolphins “never had a conversation” with the future Hall of Fame quarterback.

The Dolphins general manager provided a handful of additional thoughts on the state of the Dolphins, which we’ve compiled below (h/t to Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com):

More on the Dolphins’ commitment to Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback:

“Mike and the staff have come in to do a lot of work, studied a lot of Tua and they feel good about his developmental upside, what he can be and then the fit in the offense. I think we’re good with Tua.”

On the Dolphins pursuit of Payton:

“[We called the Saints] to see if he is done with football or does he want to coach. … They told us no, they weren’t going to grant permission. So that was it.

“We stopped to see if he would have interest at all. So, I don’t even know if he would have interest.”

On cornerback Xavien Howard, who is seeking a new contract following back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons:

“My anticipation is that Xavien will be here next year. We made the promise to him — after the season, we’ll make the adjustment … just to be truthful with him and do it, that’s the right thing to do.”

On impending free agents Mike Gesicki and Emmanuel Ogbah:

“Mike knows how I feel about him. I drafted him and have had separate conversations with Mike. We’ve had limited talks with his agents.”

“As it got to the end of the season with free agency, both of those guys get to this point, they want to be able to see what their options are. They both told us they want to be back in Miami. They both love it here, they want to be back. We’ll see what happens.”

On Flores’ class-action lawsuit against the NFL and three teams (including the Dolphins):

“(At) some point when it’s done [i can discuss], maybe in the future, but I can’t comment on this right now.

Dolphins GM: Door Shut On Deshaun Watson

March 2nd, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The runaway leaders in last year’s Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, the Dolphins have officially bowed out. GM Chris Grier confirmed Wednesday the “door is shut” on a trade for the Texans’ star quarterback, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe tweets.

Grier endorsed Tua Tagovailoa‘s progress ahead of his third season, following new HC Mike McDaniel in that regard. With the Dolphins being the only team for which Watson waived his no-trade clause, this opens up the playing field. Watson, of course, remains embroiled in the off-field scandals that have thrown his career off course. The timetable for resolutions in Watson’s civil and criminal cases remains murky, with a lengthy NFL suspension perhaps looming.

Buzz about the Dolphins acquiring Watson amid his off-field trouble intensified ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, when they were the only team left standing. Watson did not waive his no-trade clause for the Eagles or Panthers at that point. Stephen Ross was believed to have pushed Grier and Co. for weeks to finalize a Watson deal, but the Dolphins wanted conditions attached to the draft picks exchanged in the swap. No deal came to pass, and it has now been more than a year since Watson’s trade request surfaced.

Watson was reported to be interested in the Buccaneers and Vikings as destinations, and the Panthers — who showed considerable interest before the accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault emerged — still loom for the ex-Clemson superstar.

The Dolphins targeted Tagovailoa for over a year and were in position to land him due to the hip injury sustained late in the southpaw’s Alabama career. Of course, the Dolphins tried to pivot to Joe Burrow, offering the Bengals three first-rounders to move up in 2020, but were rebuffed. This QB pursuit has emerged in Flores’ lawsuit, which accused Ross of offering six-figure payments for 2019 losses.

The team will aim to move past these major headlines and build around Tagovailoa, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency as a pro. The Dolphins, however, saw receiver unavailability and a bottom-tier offensive line hinder Tua’s development last season. The Watson pursuit almost certainly affected the passer as well. It seems the Dolphins will try to give their starter a legitimate chance to succeed next season.

Latest On Texans, Deshaun Watson

February 25th, 2022 at 6:44pm CST by Zachary Links

A Deshaun Watson deal might not be too far off. Multiple teams are willing to trade for the embattled quarterback before his civil suits are settled, according to a source who spoke with PFT.

Still, these clubs have indicated that they won’t trade for Watson until his “criminal situation” is resolved. The Houston Police Department has not charged Watson with any crimes, though they haven’t ruled out the possibility either.

The Dolphins likely would have traded for Watson last year if his civil suits were put to rest. For what it’s worth, the Panthers were reportedly willing to deal for Watson, though the QB declined to drop his no-trade clause for them. This week, we learned that the Panthers are still interested, but it’s not clear if Watson’s stance has softened.

The Eagles could also get involved in the coming weeks. Philly GM Howie Roseman — who is never bashful about swinging a big trade — has done extensive homework on Watson. He’s also armed with plenty of trade chips, including three first-round picks in this year’s draft.

Meanwhile, Watson is also open to joining the Buccaneers and Vikings. In Tampa, Watson would be a compelling replacement for Tom Brady — at least, from a talent perspective. In Minnesota, the fit isn’t quite as clear given the presence and contract of Kirk Cousins. As it stands, Cousins has one year to go on his deal with $35MM in base pay with an even larger $45MM cap hit.

Panthers Still Interested In Deshaun Watson; Eagles Did Extensive Work On QB

February 23rd, 2022 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

A still-muddled legal situation has left Deshaun Watson‘s NFL career in limbo, but the quarterback continues to generate interest. While the Dolphins have moved out of the picture, the other team closely connected to the three-time Pro Bowler remains interested.

The Panthers still have Watson on their radar, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. The Panthers were prepared to make a major push for Watson last year, and after initially backing off after the off-field trouble surfaced, they were believed to have made the Texans an offer. Carolina re-emerging as a serious suitor could be a significant offseason development, though any trade talk obviously takes a backseat to the lawsuits ensnaring Watson.

Carolina’s quarterback situation moved Matt Rhule to the edge of a hot seat last year, and the team has not had stability at the position since Cam Newton‘s injuries began to pile up. The Panthers still have Sam Darnold‘s fully guaranteed $18.8MM salary on their payroll, but for a player like Watson, the QB-desperate team likely would not view that as a hindrance.

Watson holds a no-trade clause, and he is not believed to have waived it for anyone but the Dolphins last year. Still, his past at Clemson and the now-Mike McDaniel-led Dolphins exiting the pursuit — despite Stephen Ross‘ extensive interest prior to the 2021 trade deadline — certainly makes the Panthers a team to watch here.

Watson refusing to waive his no-trade clause for the Eagles did not stop them from doing plenty of work on the embattled QB. GM Howie Roseman “intensely” researched Watson’s situation, and the Eagles sent an investigator to Houston last year to gather more intel on this complex off-field matter, Wilson adds. With both Roseman and Jeffery Lurie being on this at various points, the door should not be viewed as closed on the Eagles’ end. They have three first-round picks in the 2022 draft — all in the teens — and could present the Texans with a compelling offer. Houston has sought a five- to seven-asset package for Watson, and want three first-rounders included in a proposal.

As for Watson’s criminal and civil cases, the holding pattern remains. Some of Watson’s accusers in the civil suit have yet to be deposed, and Wilson notes a judge ruled this week such depositions can be pushed back until at least April 1. Six of the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual assault or sexual misconduct have yet to be deposed. Watson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, still expects a resolution on Watson’s criminal case, which has seen 10 women come forward with complaints. The Houston Police Department has not yet charged Watson with a crime.

These investigations moving into April would put the teams still interested to decisions at quarterback, with the new league year opening March 16. With quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins‘ true availabilities unknown as of late February, Watson being dropped into the trade mix late would add another complexity to this equation. A potential NFL suspension clouds this process as well.

Deshaun Watson Open To Buccaneers, Vikings As Trade Destinations?

February 16th, 2022 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Texans HC Lovie Smith’s Views On QBs Watson, Mills

February 15th, 2022 at 12:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans have a new head coach in Lovie Smith, but they appear to be maintaining the status quo when it comes to their quarterback situation. He detailed the desire to handle the Deshaun Watson situation, and also voiced support of 2021 rookie Davis Mills in a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Smith expressed optimism that a resolution will be coming somewhat soon with Watson. It is already well known that the team intends to trade him before the start of the new league year in March; Smith concurs that dealing him elsewhere would be the best outcome.

When asked about how quickly he wants the matter resolved, Smith answered, “As soon as possible… We’re patient, we’ve waited an entire year and I just feel like this offseason, it’ll come to an end and we’ll get it solved and it’ll be good for both parties, whatever that might be… We have a little bit of time, and we’ll get it done”.

Watson, 26, still has 22 sexual misconduct lawsuits that have yet to be resolved; between that, and his trade request, he sat out the 2021 season. Breer adds that if the three-time Pro Bowler is able to be dealt, there could be “a treasure trove of picks coming Houston’s way”.

With regards to Mills, Smith praised the third-rounder for his performance in 2021. “Of all those guys we played against, Davis played as well as any of those rookie quarterbacks”, he said. “I like his demeanor, how smart he is, and I like that he and [newly-promoted offensive coordinator] Pep Hamilton have been together for a year already. Those things should help us”. Mills ranked second amongst rookie signal callers in QBR, despite playing on the AFC’s second-worst team.

While Smith made it clear Mills isn’t assured to be the 2022 starter, he is certainly a supporter of his. Assuming the Watson swap does get done soon, Smith will be well positioned to move forward with, quite possibly, some much-needed continuity at the head coach and QB positions for at least the immediate future.

Tom Brady Has Not Ruled Out Playing In 2022; Bucs Interested In Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson

February 13th, 2022 at 8:23am CST by Rory Parks

You didn’t really think that there wouldn’t be any Tom Brady “un-retirement” stories, did you? Less than two weeks after the legendary passer confirmed he would be hanging up the cleats, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report that the Buccaneers are leaving the door open to a Brady return, and that Brady himself is not ruling out the possibility.

Brady, 44, when discussing the prospect of playing in 2022 on his own podcast six days ago, said, “[y]ou never say never. At the same time I know that I’m very, I feel very good about my decision. I don’t know how I’ll feel six months from now” (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

It’s understandable that any retired player, let alone a player who has enjoyed the type of career that Brady has, would start to feel the itch to return to the field as summer draws to a close and the nation starts to turn its attention to Week 1 of the NFL season. Even assuming Brady gets that itch, however, Pelissero and Rapoport hear from sources close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion that chances of a return are “remote.” Still, the Bucs are willing to do whatever it takes to bring him back for his age-45 season, and they have made that clear to him.

Florio, in the same piece linked above, speculates that Brady’s retirement announcement could be his way of engineering a graceful exit from Tampa. After all, although the team was able to retain all of its starters from its Super Bowl LV run, tough decisions were always going to have to be made in 2022. As we recently pointed out, nearly half of the Bucs’ starting lineup in 2021 is eligible for free agency in March, and even without that contingent on the payroll, the club is projected to be barely $5MM under the cap. It could be that Brady realizes his chances of playing through his age-45 campaign — as he had long indicated he planned to do — and still going out on top with an eighth Super Bowl ring would be better elsewhere.

Indeed, no matter how badly the Bucs may want him back, they are going to have to turn their attention to other options at some point. Pelissero and Rapoport write that Tampa Bay is doing “extensive homework” on embattled Texans QB Deshaun Watson and are expected to explore a trade for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson. The team has also been connected to 49ers signal-caller (and former Brady protégé) Jimmy Garoppolo. If/when the Bucs make a move to replace Brady with a starting-caliber passer, it will obviously be impractical for them to keep Brady rostered.

At present, the Bucs have not made a roster move with respect to Brady and are projected to carry a $32MM dead money charge for him in 2022 if they move him off the roster. If they designate him a post-June 1 release, they could push $24MM of that total to 2023, and if they place him on the reserve/retired list after June 1, they would be able to accomplish the same thing while still retaining his 2022 rights should he decide he wants to keep playing but for another team. Or, as Florio adds in a separate piece, the team could just keep him on the roster all year, which would result in a $10.545MM cap charge — just $2.545MM more than what the post-June 1 2022 dead money charge would be — and which would allow him to return to the team at any time should he so choose. Presumably, that option would only be in play if Tampa Bay does not replace Brady with a high-level starter.

Interestingly, Florio posits that if Brady does want to play for another club in 2022, that club would be his hometown Niners. Brady reportedly wanted to play for San Francisco before signing with the Bucs two years ago, and with the 49ers boasting a roster that came up just shy of a Super Bowl appearance this year, it stands to reason that HC Kyle Shanahan would be willing to delay the Trey Lance era for one more season if it means giving Brady a chance to get that roster to the promised land. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times agrees that Brady’s preferred destination, should all of this speculation coalesce into something more concrete, would be San Francisco (Twitter link).

Giants Owner: We Won’t Trade For Deshaun Watson

January 26th, 2022 at 1:06pm CST by Zachary Links

There will be plenty of new faces in the Giants’ locker room this year, but Deshaun Watson will not be among them. On Wednesday, owner John Mara told reporters that the Giants will not be trading for embattled Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).

Mara cited the allegations against Watson and the Giants’ cap situation as reasons for staying out of the sweepstakes. But, beyond that, he says he is all in with Daniel Jones at QB.

“We do feel Daniel can play,” Mara said. “[And] we’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up.”

With new GM Joe Schoen at the helm, the Giants believe that they’ll be able to get Jones back on track. At his introductory press conference, Schoen said that he will be focused on upgrading the offensive line to better protect the QB and running back Saquon Barkley (Twitter link). Of course, that’s just the start, and Schoen will also have to weigh Barkley’s future beyond 2022 — the talented tailback has just one year let on his rookie deal.

And, before all of that, Schoen and Mara will have to hire a new head coach. Mara says he hopes to make it happen next week (Twitter link), though he won’t rush the process either.

As for Watson, the 26-year-old is “more than likely” done with the Texans, according to recent comments from GM Nick Caserio.

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