Deshaun Watson Trade Rumors: Teams Still Interested in Dealing for Texans QB
May 1, 2021
Twenty-two women have filed civil lawsuits against Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, alleging that he committed acts including sexual assault and misconduct during massage sessions over a two-year period.
Amid the ongoing legal process, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Friday that teams are still interested in trading for Watson, who had requested a trade earlier this year.
"Teams have still been interested in trading for Deshaun Watson," Rapoport reported from the 2021 NFL draft's home in Cleveland on Friday amid a longer breakdown of Watson's current situation.
"Given his legal situation, that has not changed the interest at least going into the draft. And as of now, the Texans have not engaged with anyone about potentially dealing him."
The news dropped on the same night that Houston used the No. 67 overall pick to select Stanford quarterback Davis Mills.
On March 19, Aaron Wilson (then of the Houston Chronicle) reported that the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos were all interested in trading for Watson but were "monitoring" the legal process involving the civil lawsuits against the quarterback.
The news first came to light on March 16 after lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing the women filing the lawsuits, publicly mentioned on Instagram that legal action would be taken against the quarterback.
By the time of Wilson's article three days later, seven lawsuits had been filed in court.
It's unclear how many teams (or what teams) could be interested now after more lawsuits have been filed. What we do know is that the quarterback situation has changed for some of the teams on Wilson's list since March 19.
Of note, the Jets and 49ers took BYU's Zach Wilson and North Dakota State's Trey Lance with the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks in the 2021 NFL draft.
The Panthers traded for Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, and the Broncos have been rumored to be in on a potential trade for a reportedly disgruntled Aaron Rodgers, who may want out of Green Bay.
Miami and Philadelphia are rolling with a pair of ex-Alabama signal-callers in Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts as of now, and that hasn't changed since March.
Ultimately, much is unknown about the ex-Clemson star's future on and off the field. What we do know is that Houston selected a quarterback with its first pick, which could indicate that the team could be heading closer toward a post-Watson future.