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Could Deshaun Watson end up in AFC West with Patrick Mahomes?

NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha listed the Denver Broncos as a potential trade partner for Deshaun Watson, creating Watson vs. Patrick Mahomes twice a year in the AFC West.

No NFL fan loves anything more than a classic quarterback duel, and a recent NFL.com article by columnist Jeffri Chadiha pits arguably the two best young arm talents in the league against each other for at least two times a season.

Deshaun Watson has been on the hunt for a trade partner for months, even before his current sexual assault scandal came to be. While no result is imminent, Chadiha cited Broncos' safety Kareem Jackson as a factor as he weighed in with retired cornerback Aqib Talib.

"I got a great relationship with Deshaun," Jackson said on Talib's podcast. "I've been talking to him the last couple weeks. All he's been telling me is, 'Look, Jack, just tell them that's where I want to be.' He's like, 'That's where I want to be.' He's like, 'I want to be in Denver.'"

Watson's lawyer has denied all accusations, and no criminal charges have currently been filed, so in the event Watson clears his name in 2021 or after, every team in the league will be calling to feel out his value.

A young defense in Denver combined with young offensive talents like Jerry Jeudy has to be enticing to the former Clemson star despite the prospect of playing at such a high altitude in Denver. More importantly, Watson's hypothetical landing in the AFC West gives unprecedented competition to the Super Bowl runner-up Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs and Broncos are the only two teams to have won the West division dating back to 2009, where the then-San Diego Chargers claimed their most recent crown. Denver hasn't seen a division win since Peyton Manning's super bowl winning campaign, and since 2015 it's been all Chiefs.

Mahomes is just getting started, coming off of his second straight Super Bowl appearance. If owner John Elway and the Broncos want to get back in competition, a move like this is essential, which is why they were also linked to draft day Aaron Rodger trades, according to Chadiha.

"There was plenty of buzz surrounding a potential draft-day trade between Denver and Green Bay when reports surfaced of the resentment Aaron Rodgers presently holds towards the Packers. Now there are reports that Watson would love to land in Denver," Chadiha wrote.

"This is a man who's dying to get out of Houston, after all. But the Broncos make a lot of sense. They have plenty of young talent on offense and defense, and an ultra-talented quarterback would instantly make them serious contenders in the AFC. As much as Denver's selling Lock and Bridgewater right now, this team isn't getting by Kansas City without some serious firepower on offense."

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