As we move closer to the 2022 NFL offseason, there will assuredly be plenty of more rumors involving Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson has off-the-field issues, with 22 lawsuits pending against him, that he has to iron out before his NFL career can get back on track before any consideration can be given to him returning to the field. The Miami Dolphins are going to be a team to watch closely.
What team he will suit up for next, however, is always a popular topic of discussion. There are plenty of teams that would love to have the Clemson product under center for them. Despite some underwhelming supporting casts, Watson has proven to be one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.
At 26-years old, he has plenty of gas left in the tank. Very rarely do franchise quarterbacks at that age come available, but he is fed up with the organization and wants to move on.
A large majority of teams in the NFL would take Watson, pending the lawsuits being cleared, to be their starting quarterback. One team, the Miami Dolphins, seemed to stick out above the rest.
That is where former NFL quarterback Danny Kanell believes that Watson will ultimately end up.
“I look at the Miami Dolphins and I still think they make a ton of sense,” Kanell said. “You have to have a franchise that’s desperate enough to overpay. They’ve used a lot of restriction here and discipline in not making this move, but missing the playoffs again, having to fire a coach again … (Owner) Stephen Ross is a guy who’s wanted to make splashes and missed out on the Harbaugh sweepstakes.”
“He needs to infuse some life into this franchise. I don’t think anyone’s really sold on Tua Tagovailoa as the long-term answer. He improved, but I think it’s a bad move for them to have another coach come in, have him learn another offense. If you’re going to start over with a new head coach, you give him Deshaun Watson.”
The Dolphins were ridiculed for firing head coach Brian Flores following back-to-back winning seasons. When he took over the team, they were openly tanking for a quarterback in the draft, yet he was able to get the most of the roster and keep them competitive.
They landed Tua Tagovailoa as they wanted, but could be in the market for another quarterback. Their desperation to make a big move is something that the Texans should be able to take advantage of, as they can extract a little more value from the Dolphins knowing they are willing to overpay.
However, firing Flores could ultimately be the reason the Dolphins don’t land Watson. While Miami was on his list of approved teams, he has been linked to Flores as someone he wants to play for. Could the Dolphins have soured as a potential landing spot after firing Flores?
We will have to see how things play out. A Watson trade would change the landscape of the NFL as he is a legitimate game-changer at the quarterback position, with the skill set to elevate the team that acquires him to contender status.
