While the Jacksonville Jaguars likely have their 2021 quarterback situation mostly figured out, some of their AFC South rivals are dealing with uncertainty behind center. The most notable team in the division with major questions at quarterback are the Houston Texans, who have a disgruntled Deshaun Watson on their hands.
The fifth-year player expressed his displeasure with ownership about the moves they’ve made this offseason, particularly for their general manager role. With that being the case, he never made a trade request official — that is until today.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Watson has informed the Texans that he wants out and their addition of new coach, David Culley, hasn’t swayed his mind in any way.
Deshaun Watson officially has requested a trade from the Houston Texans, per league sources. He actually did it weeks ago. Their new head-coaching hire, David Culley, has not and will not alter Watson’s thinking.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 28, 2021
Whether a trade happens or not is anybody’s guess, but Jags fans can personally speak from experience in terms of him finding a new home. They witnessed both Jalen Ramsey and Yannick Ngakoue demand trades and leave their own organization, so it seems like Watson has the power to do the same.
If Watson forces his way out of Houston, it would be huge for the Jags and the rest of the AFC South. Watson especially has been a problem for the Jags, going 6-1 against them in his career. However, as a starter, he’s an impressive 6-0 against the Jags, as the one aforementioned loss to them came in 2017 in a game in which Tom Savage was the starter.
When looking at his success and impact, Watson’s departure could change the Jags’ luck against the Texans and help them acquire more divisional wins. Additionally, it could put them in a predicament where they would have one of the top quarterbacks in the AFC South, assuming their plans are to draft Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
It’s worth noting that the Texans haven’t shown interest in trading Watson, who signed a four-year deal last season. That won’t stop teams from showing interest if they haven’t already. That said, the Chicago Bears, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers are all teams who’ve been associated with acquiring Watson. At some point, that means the Texans are going to have to come to a decision to let him go, or unwisely allow him to sit for no compensation as it appears he’s not interested in rekindling things.
.png?w=600)
