Deshaun Watson could finally get his long-awaited trade in the next few days as the Nov. 2 trade deadline is looming around. The Miami Dolphins were believed to be his most likely destination, but the Carolina Panthers would join the race for him, according to reports.
The Houston Texans superstar has been wanting out for a long time, submitting a trade request before being accused of sexual assault and misconduct by more than 20 women. He's in the inactive list, but he could play right away this season if he signs for another team.
The Dolphins have been heavily linked to the quarterback in the summer, as Watson was also understood to see Miami as his favorite destination. However, the outlook may have changed and Carolina could have possibilities to land him.
Report: Panthers could trade for Deshaun Watson amid Darnold concerns
A week ago, reports claimed that Texans and Dolphins had really advanced in trade talks. Deshaun Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, which enables him to choose his next team. Until now, it was believed that he was only interested in moving to South Florida.
But ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Carolina Panthers could join the conversation. After a bright start to life at the Panthers, Sam Darnold has been struggling to get things going as the team lost four games in a row. And Sunday's poor performance in the loss to the New York Giants was another setback for the former NY Jets signal-caller.
Fowler claimed that "things have changed" in Carolina. "They need a franchise quarterback and the feeling right now is they might not have one," he said. And he added that Watson is willing to consider multiple options here, "is not Miami-or-bust. Multiple teams are going to be interested and he is going to take all that into account."
Additionally, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that multiple teams are in talks with the Texans. The Panthers are believed to be one of them. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule insisted that Darnold is their quarterback but not everyone in the organization would be sure of that. Either way, there's still a bit more than a week for the trade deadline, and until then the Watson saga can take a huge turn.