A full year has passed and we still have no update on Deshaun Watson. His legal situation has yet to be cleared and the NFL hasn't even announced whether they'll suspend him or not when he comes back.
What seems to be clear is that the Houston Texans are finally ready to move on from him. He doesn't want to play for them ever again and they originally resisted the idea of letting him go, but that's no longer the case.
Even so, it seems like they may now have to wait before getting a deal done. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, teams are no longer interested in pursuing the Clemson product until his legal turmoil passes.
NFL News: Teams Still Don't Want To Trade For Deshaun Watson
(Transcript via The Athletic)
"Until Deshaun Watson’s legal situation is resolved, teams remain unwilling to pursue a trade for the Texans quarterback. The Texans previously asked for five to seven assets, including three first-round picks, and the Dolphins and Panthers were among the teams that showed interest last season before the trade deadline.
They ultimately backed off while he faced 22 civil suits for alleged sexual misconduct. (Watson has denied all allegations.) Teams haven’t shown any urgency to pursue a trade this offseason while his legal situation is still up in the air."
The Texans Are Ready To Move On
Texans coach Lovie Smith recently opened up on where the organization stands with Watson. Right now, they're ready to roll with Davis Mills at quarterback after his somewhat impressive rookie season:
“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,” the coach said, per 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,” Smith 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.”
Watson is one of the most talented and impactful quarterbacks in the league but there's just too much uncertainty about his future at this point. Chances are that we won't see him take the field in 2022, either.
