Texans' GM Nick Caserio Says Deshaun Watson Is 'Our QB' Amid Trade Rumors

New Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio downplayed the notion Deshaun Watson could be traded amid rumors of the quarterback's unhappiness.

"He's our quarterback," Caserio told reporters Friday. "I can't tell you how much respect and admiration have for him as a player."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday that Watson was bothered by the Texans opting to hire a new general manager without alerting him of the decision or considering the candidates he endorsed.

"I've reached out to Deshaun about Nick's hire, and I look forward to him getting back to me," Texans owner Cal McNair said during Friday's press conference.

Those comments come after Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Watson had "quietly broached with teammates the possibility of requesting a trade."

The 25-year-old Clemson product is coming off a terrific 2020 season. He posted career-high totals in completion percentage (70.2), passing yards (4,832), passing touchdowns (33) and passer rating (112.4) to go along with a career-low seven interceptions in 16 games.

He posted those strong numbers even though his former No. 1 target DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason and his new top option Will Fuller was suspended after 11 games because of a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

It helped further establish Watson as one of the league's top quarterbacks, and thus Houston seemingly entered the offseason with no questions at the position since he's under contract through 2025 as part of a four-year, $156 million extension he signed in September.

In turn, the Texans' general manager and head coaching vacancies were attractive since a franchise quarterback is the single most important piece to building a championship roster.

If Watson's status remains unsettled, it could be tougher for McNair and Caserio to attract a high-end coaching candidate to the franchise.

Josh McCown is the only other quarterback on the Texans' roster heading toward the 2021 season.