Carmen Mandato
Several Houston Texans players have reportedly shown their support for full-back Deshaun Watson to “do what’s best for himself” amid rumors that he may seek a deal after becoming dissatisfied with the franchise.
Greg Bishop and Jenny Vrentas of Sports Illustrated On Saturday, “many” teammates reportedly expressed similar feelings to those who gave Texan defensive end JJ Watt to Watson after the team’s Week 17 defeat to the Tennessee Titans to complete a 4-12 season:
“He just wants out,” a source close to Watson said Sports Illustrated.
Watson has been tremendous throughout the campaign, ranking second in the NFL in passer rating (112.4), but his frustration seems to stem from what has happened since the season ended.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter January 7 reported that the 25-year-old Clemson product was not happy. The Texans appointed New England Patriots chief executive Nick Caserio as their new general manger after a process in which they “did not consider or consult” his candidates for the position.
Watson also “quietly with the teammates took the opportunity to ask for a trade”, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
The three-time Pro Bowler made headlines on Friday afternoon with a cryptic Twitter post:
Schefter reported Sunday that Watson’s anger level after the Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in March was a two. After Caserio’s rent, it was a 10.
Texans chairman Cal McNair said Friday he understands Watson is frustrated with how the GM hiring played out, noting that he contacted the quarterback via text to keep him informed of the position of the club’s head coach.
“That’s the intention,” McNair
told reporters. “We want him in the loop and part of the process.”
The question is whether the buyer’s latest efforts came too late in Houston.
Watson was already upset about McNair’s previous comments during his news conference to introduce Caserio, when he said he ‘understood’ [Watson’s] position before meeting with candidates, “which according to the quarter was ‘misleading’, according to the Sports Illustrated report.
The Georgian resident also received words of wisdom from two of the best players in franchise history, Hopkins and Andre Johnson, who suggested that executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby be a problem:
Franchise quarterbacks are hard to find, and if tension between the sides reaches a point where the office has little to look for but a trade-off, it will likely take years for the organization to find a replacement for Watson.
So the Texans are likely to use an overall blitz to restore the relationship, which is highlighted by giving him a big say in the head coaching search. After all, there is no doubt that the situation has become one of the most important storylines of the off-season.
A superb trade could shift the NFL’s balance of power to the 2021 campaign.