Let the staredown begin.
While Deshaun Watson, the star quarterback, has officially called for a trade election, the Texans reportedly also had the potential to have him printed in Houston on Thursday.
Watson certainly has enough leverage himself, with a trade clause in his contract that allows him to say where he can land, but the Texans can also play hardball and hit Watson in the wallet if he chooses to hold out until trade comes to his right.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Texans Watson could pay $ 95,877 for the missing mini-camp, $ 50,000 for each day of the missed training camp and $ 620,000 for each missed game before the season. In a core scenario, if Watson were to retire rather than play for the Texans again, they could also raise $ 21.6 million through ESPN.
Nevertheless, the 25-year-old Watson signed a four-year extension of $ 160 million in September, with a $ 73 million guarantee. There is no guarantee that the fines will help Watson continue his career with the Texans.
“This is the one thing that will affect this situation with Watson more than anything else – his willingness to sit down and lose money,” the NFL Network analyst said. Daniel Jeremiah tweeted. ‘I think he’s a very principled man and he’s willing to do it. This is how he gets leverage. The threat of financial loss does not bother him. ”
It’s a messy situation for new general manager Nick Caserio and head coach David Culley. The Texans reportedly appointed Culley as their new coach on Wednesday night, but that “and will not change Watson’s thinking,” ESPN reported.