The Houston Texans have said publicly that they have no interest in trading Deshaun Watson, and they have taken that same stance with teams that inquire about the star quarterback.
Kalyn Kahler of Bleacher Report spoke with multiple NFL executives who have been led to believe the Texans are not open to trading Watson. Two high-level execs said the Texans have told teams they will not entertain conversations about Watson. One general manager even suggested the idea that Watson will be moved this offseason is a media-driven story.
One of the executives said his team was directly told “no” upon asking if Watson is available.
The Texans can fine Watson up to $2.4 million if he sits out the entire offseason and preseason, so some believe the team is willing to play a game of chicken with its star quarterback. One of Kahler’s sources compared the situation to when Carson Palmer asked the Cincinnati Bengals for a trade back in 2011. Palmer did not report to training camp and was placed on the reserve/did not report list. Cincinnati later traded him to the then-Oakland Raiders for a first-round pick and second-round pick.
Watson’s agent on Monday denied a report that the quarterback will hold out if he is not traded. Of course, Watson is several weeks away from having to think about that.
The Texans have reportedly attached a massive asking price to Watson, which would indicate they are actually open to dealing him. Watson has yet to comment directly on the situation, but a big change he made on social media recently seemed to confirm he wants out.
