The Texans are determined to convince everyone that they will not trade Deshaun Watson this offseason, but we are eventually going to find out how serious they are. If Watson does successfully force his way out of Houston, could Chicago be his next stop?
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington spoke with “The Rich Eisen Show” about the Watson situation on Thursday, and he said there is a belief around the NFL that Watson will eventually become available. Darlington is under the impression that the Texans are waiting as long as possible “whether for leverage or public relations reasons.”
Eisen mentioned the Bears as a possible suitor, and Darlington agreed that would make sense. The reporter explained that Chicago general manager Ryan Pace is trying to save his job while Texans GM Nick Caserio is just beginning a rebuild.
“When it comes to the potential suitors and a team like the Bears, here’s the way it was presented to me: You’ve got a GM in Nick Caserio who’s trying to build the organization, so he’s going to covet future picks more so than maybe a GM that’s on the hot seat. Where in Chicago you’ve got Ryan Pace where if he doesn’t get a quarterback, he’s done,” Darlington said.
Of course, Caserio wants to rebuild around Watson — not use him as a trade chip. However, if Watson is as serious about being traded as a recent report claimed, the Texans may be left with no choice.
Chicago declined the fifth-year option on Mitchell Trubisky’s rookie contract, so he is set to become a free agent. The Bears still have Nick Foles on their roster, but Watson is not the only star quarterback they have been linked to.
