The Houston Texans endured a tough season last year. Deshaun Watson was with the team but inactive as he faced 22 civil lawsuits but even if he could play, he had made his desire to leave quite clear.
Watson sat out the whole season and even though his legal turmoil hasn’t gone away, his stance on a trade hasn’t changed either. If anything, it’s just a matter of time before the Texans finally move on from him.
Moreover, recently-appointed HC Lovie Smith confirmed that he’s ready to roll with Davis Mills as his starting QB. Mills, a third-round pick out of Stanford, was one of the best among an underwhelming rookie class in 2021.
Lovie Smith Says Davis Mills Is The Houston Texans’ Starting QB
“You don’t give out starting positions in the spring, but I love what Davis has done. He’s our quarterback going into the season,” Smith said, as quoted by ProFootballTalk.“There’s a lot of positions I’m worried about. Quarterback is not one of them.”
“I love what Davis Mills did last year,” the coach added. “I feel real good about Davis leading our team, we’ve just got to get better people around him. I don’t really know Deshaun that way since he wasn’t really involved last year. Time takes care of a lot of things and time will take care of that situation too, with a favorable situation for Deshaun and us.”
ESPN: Watson Is Looking At The Bucs And Vikings
Watson is reportedly assessing his next move. The Miami Dolphins are no longer leading the race for his services after firing Brian Flores, so the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be potential destinations instead:
“The Texans quarterback, who spent the 2021 seasonon the team’s active rosterbut did not play, has begun evaluating potential fits for his services in 2022,with the Buccaneers and Vikings among teams on his radar,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported.
“One source noted that Watson — who has a no-trade clause — is still early in the evaluation process, buthe’s looking for the right blend of offensive system, coaching, talent and, most importantly, the chance to win,” Fowler added.
There’s still no clarity on whether the league will suspend Watson upon his return or not. But what we can already speak of as a fact is that he won’t be taking any more snaps with the Texans.