Chris Harris, Jr. Clowns Broncos Fans Over Deshaun Watson Rumors: 'He Ain't Trying to Compete with Herbert & Mahomes'

When last the Denver Broncos saw Chris Harris, Jr., the Los Angeles Chargers had beaten them 19-16 in Week 16. Now a Charger, the former long-time Bronco still has ties to the Mile High City with several close friends still in the Orange and Blue.

As a division rival, Harris is keeping tabs on the Broncos' quarterback rumors this offseason. After seeing new GM George Paton swing and miss on a trade for Matthew Stafford, all eyes have turned to Houston and disgruntled quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Many tendrils of smoke have tied the Broncos to Watson, the most recent of which was from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler who reported this past week that the three-time Pro Bowler is "intrigued" by Denver as a landing spot.

Harris finds that notion laughable. His logic? Why would Watson want to leave the relatively comfortable confines of the AFC South and head to the AFC West where he could look forward to battling Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert twice a year for division supremacy?

Harris took to Twitter to voice it all.

D watson don’t wanna come to the Afc west lol come on to the jungle https://t.co/0bZ6InhWM2
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) February 12, 2021

lol y’all in fairy tale land . that boy tryna go to the saints , eagles , Jets , Bears 😭
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) February 12, 2021

"[Deshaun] Watson don’t wanna come to the AFC West. Lol. Come on to the jungle. Just facts. Boy ain’t tryna compete with Herbert and Mahomes. Lol. Better stay AFC South. Lol. Y’all in fairy tale land. That boy tryna go to the Saints, Eagles, Jets, Bears," Harris tweeted Friday evening.

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I've voiced the same skepticism on the Huddle Up Podcast. Even if he had an allure to Denver and this organization, why would Watson want to saddle himself with the prospect of having to get past Mahomes, and now Herbert, to guarantee a playoff berth?

As Harris said, there are potential destinations that would make a lot more sense for Watson if he's looking for a plug-and-play roster and a more hospitable divisional landscape.

Indeed, the New Orleans Saints would be ideal as they've been the powerhouse in the NFC South of late and boast one of the deepest rosters in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles would make sense, too, if for no other reason than the NFC East is not exactly a murderer's row of competition for the crown.

The Chicago Bears? Watson would have to get past Aaron Rodgers each year. The New York Jets? Outside of the grip of draft picks the Jets could conceivably afford to give up to land Watson, I don't see any allure other than a relatively softer AFC East. But the Buffalo Bills lurk and are here to stay with Josh Allen.

Meanwhile, the Broncos have the offensive pieces in place for Watson to plug-and-play and hit the ground running but depending on what Denver would have to give up in order to land him, the defense could struggle to fill the roster holes it currently has without a first-, second-, or third-round draft pick to lean on for the next three years.

All of this assumes the Houston Texans will have a mighty change of heart, and acquiesce to trading Watson. At this stage, though, new GM Nick Caserio has adamantly declared that Houston will not trade the disgruntled signal-caller.

If that happens, Watson has threatened to sit out the 2021 season which would cost him millions upon millions of dollars. These issues have a way of evolving once they get into the public zeitgeist so if some team out there makes Caserio an offer he can't refuse, maybe the Texans budge and deal Watson away.

I'll believe that when I see it. At bottom, though, Harris 'ain't' wrong. The AFC West is one of the least-hospitable divisions Watson could theoretically land in, despite the allure of one of the NFL's most storied franchises in the Broncos. But maybe he's a glutton for punishment.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.

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