Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson made it clear that he is looking for a change of scenery this off-season, and more than half of the NFL teams reportedly called the Texans about the potential to strike a deal for the Pro Bowl quarterback. Some of the teams that should be a favorite in the Watson bidding war are New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, but is there another team you should keep an eye on? CBS NFL Insider Jonathan Jones says it is the Carolina Panthers.
“The Panthers were / are / will be very interested in Deshaun Watson,” Jones tweeted on Thursday night. “It’s not just fanfare or sports radio imagination. It’s real.”
In the last off-season, the Panthers signed a three-year contract with former New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. His game in 2020 left much to be desired, however, as he pitched for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, ranging from 4 to 11 as a starter. With game creators like Christian McCaffrey, DJ Moore, Robby Anderson and then Curtis Samuel – who is looking for a new contract this off-season – the Panthers may be just a defender from having an elite attack that could compete in what is very difficult division.
Panthers owner David Tepper was not thrilled when asked about his quarterback’s game in 2020, and it is possible that his new general manager was hired to find Carolina’s next full-time quarterback. When Scott Fitterer was introduced to reporters last week, he said that Carolina will try to increase competition at the center of this season, and added that the Panthers “will be present in every business” after mentioning Watson’s availability.
The connections between Watson and Carolina are obvious. His hometown, Gainesville, Georgia, is just over three hours away by car and Clemson, where Watson threw his ball at college, is just two hours away. As a Tiger, Watson helped Clemson to win the National College Football Championship in 2016 and was a two-time finalist in the Heisman Trophy. Since Watson has something to say on his next team, you have to think that playing close to home would be a big advantage, and not much closer than Carolina.
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