Not so fast.
A day after the news that Deshaun Watson had requested a switch, Houston Texans’ new GM Nick Caserio made it clear that he did not give up on keeping him in the group, creating an impasse with the QB franchise.
“Organizationally, we want to reiterate our commitment to Deshaun Watson,” he said at a news conference on Friday to introduce coach David Culley. “We have no interest in changing the player.”
While Watson’s frustration with the franchise has little to do with Caserio and Culley personally, there is no indication that they will be able to change their mind.
The 25-year-old former Clemson student hoped to have a say in the team’s new leadership after a terrible 4-12 season. This did not appear to have happened with the team hiring Ceserio without warning Watson.
Culley, on his first official day with the team, tried to play some optimism on the approaching ugliness.
“He’s a Houston Texan,” said the 65-year-old for the first time. “I want him to be a Houston Texan. The reason I am in this position today is because I know that he will be a Houston Texan. “
That positivity may be lost. Watson, whose four-year, $ 156 million contract runs through 2025 with a no-trade clause, has most of the leverage in this case, and is allegedly “dug” when traded. Texans can do little more than fine him if he refuses to show up, although the NFL Network has reported that he is willing to “sit down and lose money”.
Several teams are expected to be in the trade market by Watson, who led the NFL with a career record of 4,823 passing yards and threw 33 touchdowns in 2020. The Jets could assemble an intriguing package led by the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they will have to compete with AFC East opponents from New England and Miami, as well as the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.