David Culley Says Deshaun Watson Is Texans' QB 'Right Now' amid Trade Rumors

Houston Texans head coach David Culley says Deshaun Watson is the team's starting quarterback. Well, at least at present. 

"He is our starting quarterback right now," Culley said when asked if Watson would be the team's starter in Week 1 of the regular season, per Jim Trotter of NFL.com. "He is our starting quarterback. Things happen between now and then. We'll see what happens."

You can see the full excerpt from Culley's appearance on the Huddle & Flow podcast below:

During a press conference Thursday, however, Culley left less room for interpretation regarding Watson's future with the Texans: 

If Watson gets his wish, he will be traded this offseason. His unhappiness with the organization is hardly a secret. 

Watson's leverage is that is a long, drawn-out and public staredown will damage the organization's reputation with other players around the league. He could also hold out for the 2021 season if he isn't traded, and even if he reports, the fact that everybody knows he wants to be elsewhere isn't great for team morale. 

Houston doesn't need to trade him, though. He's under contract through 2025 and is arguably one of the five best quarterbacks in football. Those players are hard to come by, and the Texans rightly should want to keep him. Unless they're blown away by a trade offer, they can attempt to navigate his unhappiness. 

But again, those are perilous waters. Watson is the face of the franchise. It's never a good look when such a player is desperate to leave. Ask the Houston Rockets about how things went with James Harden before he was traded. 

And so the saga continues. Watson is Houston's quarterback. For now.