PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 23: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Houston Texans walks off the field after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 23, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Texans 32-30. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)The Texans released superstar defensive end J.J. Watt Friday morning. Is a blockbuster trade involving franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson up next? Not according to the Texans’ CEO.
Houston hit the NFL world with massive news Friday morning with the announcement that the organization has released Watt. To make matters worse, the Texans are letting the defensive face of the franchise walk away for not a cent in return.
Watt might not be the only superstar to leave Houston this off-season. All reports indicate Watson wants to be traded to a contender. It was reported Friday morning the Texans quarterback is intrigued by two teams: the 49ers and Denver Broncos. The Dolphins might also be in the mix.
Despite the ongoing and evolving rumors regarding a potential blockbuster trade involving Watson, Texans’ CEO Cal McNair isn’t buying it. He fully expects Watson to be his team’s starting quarterback this next season, as he admitted on Friday.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there, I’ll leave it at that,” McNair said, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “Today we want on focus on J.J. Deshaun is our quarterback, he is a Texan, and we expect him to remain a Texan.”
And Cal McNair on Deshaun Watson: “There is a lot of misinformation out there, I’ll leave it at that. Today we want on focus on J.J. Deshaun is our quarterback, he is a Texan, and we expect him to remain a Texan, and we’ll leave that.” https://t.co/m9yz2PjivD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 12, 2021
It’s hard to imagine Deshaun Watson wanting to stay in Houston after the Texans let J.J. Watt walk for nothing. The two shared a special bond. Not to mention, Watson has all the leverage here.
The Texans might as well get what they can for him now, when demand is high, rather than waiting until later this year. There’s plenty of teams desperate for a quarterback right now, especially one of Watson’s caliber. A bidding war could soon commence.
Houston may be committed to Watson, but Watson isn’t committed to Houston. At this point, the Texans can’t do much to change that.
