Deshaun Watson Trade Rumors: Texans Decline Colts' Request to Speak to QB

The Indianapolis Colts are in the market for a new quarterback after trading Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders. One player who won't be an option for the team, however, is Deshaun Watson. 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Houston Texans have "declined Indianapolis’ attempt to speak with Watson."

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports added that Watson—who has a no-trade clause in his contract—is meeting with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers on Monday and reportedly is set to meet with "more" teams on Tuesday. 

It's no surprise that the Texans would balk at trading Watson to a divisional rival. Trading him out of the conference to a team like the Saints or Panthers would make more sense, akin to the Seattle Seahawks dealing Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. 

Regardless, there are still major question marks revolving around when Watson will take the field again. 

While a Houston grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges Friday, he's still facing lawsuits from 22 women who have accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. 

He may also be facing a suspension from the NFL, as the league has conducted its own investigation into the quarterback. 

With the grand jury's decision not to indict, trade talks regarding the quarterback have heated up. Before the accusations against Watson surfaced in last year's offseason, Watson had asked the Texans for a trade. 

This offseason, it appears he'll get one. 

As for the Colts, the team has yet to find a long-term replacement for Andrew Luck, who surprisingly retired in 2019. Jacoby Brissett got the shot in 2019, but the Colts went 7-9 and missed the postseason. 

Philip Rivers fared much better in 2020, leading the team to an 11-5 record and playoff berth, but he retired after the season. And Wentz had an up-and-down year, failing to get Indy back to the postseason after a 9-8 campaign. 

So the search continues for Luck's long-term replacement, three years after his retirement. Addressing the position via the draft won't be easy, either, after the team traded its 2022 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles when it acquired Wentz.