The Deshaun Watson drama that took over the NFL world just two days before the NFL playoffs has a lot to do with Watson and his unhappiness with the Houston Texans. After being told by the Texans that they would let him help in the hiring of the new general manager, he was very disappointed when he saw that they hired Nick Caserio without any prior knowledge.
Watson wanted the Texans to at least interview Eric Bieniemy for the head coaching vacancy, but the Texans refused his request. Since then, he has had no contact with the Texans and has been asking players if he should request a trade out of Houston.
Watson is reportedly very unhappy with the Texans organization and will likely request a trade away from the team. There were already rumors going around that Watson could be dealt even before this situation went down, but now it appears as if a deal is imminent for the Texans signal caller.
The Texans have been falling apart and a lot of that had to do with Bill O’Brien at head coach making ridiculous trades and uneducated decisions. It seems the decision making process is still lacking in some areas as they clearly chose not to include their “franchise” quarterback in the decision making like they promised, but hey, that’s Houston for you.
Let’s take a look at five teams who should go all-out to try and acquire Deshaun Watson from the Texans.
New Orleans Saints
It seems to basically be written in stone that this will be the final season we see Drew Brees at the helm in New Orleans and despite what Sean Payton says about his replacement being “in house,” I simply haven’t seen enough to back up that claim.
Deshaun Watson could be a legendary (and I don’t use that term loosely) fit in New Orleans and would immediately be in MVP conversations before taking a single snap. Tyrann Mathieu, a safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, mentioned the Saints as one of three possible teams that should jump at the opportunity to trade for Watson.
Watson would be a perfect fit for the Saints. He has the running ability that Sean Payton wants, but can also throw a deep ball better than Drew Brees and Taysom Hill. Watson in New Orleans would make the Saints Super Bowl contenders for years, especially after you consider the fact that Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara are both locked up for the long haul.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears could be a legitimate option for Watson after they passed up on him and Patrick Mahomes a few years back in the 2017 NFL Draft to select Mitchell Trubisky instead. The Bears, who just barely managed to squeak into the playoffs, could have a lot of problems solved by bringing in the Clemson alum.
The Bears need a new quarterback, there I said it. Trubisky and Nick Foles quite simply aren’t cutting it anymore. The Bears year after year continue to waste one of the NFL’s best defenses by not bringing in a good quarterback who can lead the offense.
Watson is the highest-graded passer outside of the pocket, and just broke a pass completion record that was held by Drew Brees previously. If the Bears aren’t on the phone with Houston as we speak, there may be no help available for the suffering franchise.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were one of the three teams that Tyrann Mathieu mentioned should go after a potential trade for Deshaun Watson, and a deal to the 49ers makes a lot of sense.
If the 49ers offered a 2021 first round draft pick, a 2022 first round draft pick, and Jimmy Garoppolo, a deal could get done quick, fast, and in a hurry. The 49ers are average at best with Jimmy G under center, but they could be so much better with a quarterback like Watson.
If the Texans agreed to a trade like the one I just mentioned, it would benefit them in the long haul as they aim to rebuild their team and they would have a serviceable signal caller to keep things together.
The 49ers need to be doing whatever they can to get Watson in town because teaming him up with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle would be lethal.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots currently own a very high draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which could be used as ammunition to land the services of Deshaun Watson.
The Patriots will need a new signal caller in New England after the team seems set on moving on from Cam Newton. Newton wasn’t all that bad for the Patriots in 2020 considering the few weapons he had to work with, but Watson would be a major upgrade in every way possible.
Watson partnered with Bill Belichick would send chills throughout the rest of the NFL as the two could form yet another unstoppable duo. We saw how dominant the Patriots can be with a good quarterback under center and the same thing could happen if Watson winds up in Foxboro.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t far away from having to find a new quarterback, and they could start the process now by trading for Deshaun Watson. Ben Roethlisberger has maybe one more year left at best and by bringing in Watson it can somewhat force the long over tenured Roethlisberger out the door.
A move to the Steelers seems a bit unlikely, but it is worth mentioning. The Steelers are easily a Super Bowl caliber team and Watson would do nothing but bring the best out of the players they currently have. Watson is literally incredible at everything he does and could very easily form a strong and genuine connection with player friendly head coach Mike Tomlin.
If the Steelers want to full send their 2021 offseason, they should go after Watson. For now, they need to focus on winning in the playoffs, but after that they should be knocking down the door in Houston asking about a possible deal.
