NFL Exec Compares Deshaun Watson's Leverage with Texans to NBA Stars

NFL fans trying to grasp what type of leverage Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has over his team as the offseason approaches may have to turn to a different sport.

One NFL executive compared it to a situation with a star player in the NBA, per Mike Sando of The Athletic:

"Watson represents an example of player empowerment like we see in the NBA. Because he has enough money in the bank, he can say, 'No, you are going to do it the way I want to do it or else you do not have me.' This is presuming he believes the DeAndre Hopkins trade and other moves were irrational, and the GM was hired in a ridiculous way, and his feelings are heartfelt. If those things are true, he can absolutely get traded where he wants to get traded, because of his no-trade clause."

On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Watson is one of multiple people within the Texans organization who were upset owner Cal McNair went against recommendations from a search firm suggesting the team hire Pittsburgh Steelers vice president of football and business administration Omar Khan or ESPN analyst Louis Riddick as the general manager.

Instead, Houston hired New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio.

"Watson had been assured by McNair that he would be involved in the process to hire a new coach and general manager and kept in the loop on the progress in those searches, but that didn't happen," Schefter wrote.

The report also quoted someone who knows the quarterback and said Watson's anger was "a two" when the Texans traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last offseason. "This time, it's a 10."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen provided more context, noting Watson was not pleased with a failure to hire Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, among other concerns:

It's not very often a franchise quarterback at the age of 25 becomes available, especially one who is under contract through the 2025 season with a potential out in 2024. Watson is talented enough to turn the fortunes around for a number of quarterback-needy teams and is young enough to do so for a decade-plus.

The Clemson product was named to his third straight Pro Bowl in 2020 and completed 70.2 percent of his passes for a league-leading 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 444 yards and three scores on the ground.

Despite his individual brilliance, Houston went 4-12 this season and finished well outside the playoff picture. What's more, it doesn't even own its own 2021 first-round draft pick after trading it to the Miami Dolphins.

It's difficult to feel much sense of optimism about the Texans' immediate future at this point, but trading Watson would immediately turn around the outlook for whichever team landed him.