Deshaun Watson Trade Sweepstakes Kicking into Higher Gear
Former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson could be joining a new NFL team as early as this week.
Watson avoiding criminal charges after a grand jury decided not to indict him last Friday has made a trade from the Houston Texans more imminent.
Watson, who asked for a trade before 22 women filed lawsuits against him for sexual misconduct last year, is in high demand during an offseason where several teams are looking to upgrade at quarterback.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that Watson has meetings scheduled with the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.
The Indianapolis Colts reportedly also wanted to check in with Watson but the Texans wouldn't agree to allow it. While Watson has a no-trade clause and can dictate his landing spot, he's still under contract with Houston, which doesn't want to trade him inside the division.
The Panthers seem like a real possibility, something that could draw fans in the Carolinas to Bank of America Stadium. The team in Charlotte, N.C., has $29 million on the salary cap to spend and could be willing to absorb the hit that comes with Watson's contract.
The Browns have checked in on Watson as well, and there is a chance Cleveland trades Baker Mayfield to make room for the Texans QB. Now, the Browns reportedly have a Tuesday meeting with Watson.
Free agency officially opens up Wednesday, so teams are scrambling to figure out their quarterback futures and line up offseason spending plans, which is another reason why the Watson sweepstakes have been ramped up this week.
Tom Brady's announcement Sunday that he's returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers instead of staying retired brings an interesting dynamic to the NFC South. The Panthers, who are listed at +450 at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the division in 2022, have been in hot pursuit of Watson since last fall. The Saints, under new leadership at the coaching position, would still be behind the Bucs in terms of QB situation with what they currently have on the roster.
Should either team acquire Watson, it might be able to challenge Tamapa's now two-year reign over the division.
The Pittsburgh Steelers removed themselves from the list of potential Watson suitors when they signed Bills backup Mitchell Trubisky to a two-year deal Monday.
Meanwhile, Watson's still battling the civil cases against him, and the NFL is still investigating the allegations and can now speak with Watson since the criminal side of his case is complete. It's unknown if he'll face punishment from the league once his legal matters are resolved and he's with a different NFL team.
Watson was the league's leading passer in 2020 but missed all of 2021 as the Texans kept him sidelined.
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