The Houston Texans parted ways with JJ Watt on Friday, and many believe Deshaun Watson could be the next to go. According to team owner Cal McNair, that is not going to happen.
McNair spoke with reporters about the Texans releasing Watt, and naturally there were some questions about Watson. While McNair said he wanted to keep the focus on honoring Watt, he emphatically shot down any talk of Watson being traded.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there. I’ll leave it at that,” McNair said, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “Today we want on focus on J.J. Deshaun is our quarterback, he is a Texan, and we expect him to remain a Texan, and we’ll leave that.”
The Texans have maintained that stance for weeks now, at least publicly. New general manager Nick Caserio said in his introductory press conference last month that he expects Watson to remain with the team for years to come. Houston has also reportedly been turning teams away when they inquire about trading for Watson.
Watson was said to be furious with McNair after McNair told the quarterback he would be involved in the GM hiring process and did not consult him.
Watt reportedly asked the Texans to release him. McNair says making Watt a free agent now will allow him more time to find a new team. McNair is almost certainly trying to save face in the wake of unflattering reports like this one.
