If a team has Deshaun Watson locked up through the 2025 season, why would they ever be considered four or more years away from winning a Super Bowl.
The only way that could be possible is if said team had a situation where Watson wanted to leave the organization.
That is where the Houston Texans find themselves, and ESPN couldn’t ignore the issue when handicapping all 32 teams’ chances to win a Super Bowl in the future. ESPN reporter Sarah Barshop contributed to the report, and the Texans are considered four-plus years away from winning the Big Game — just like the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, and Detroit Lions.
Strategy for becoming a Super Bowl contender: It’s hard to answer this question without knowing whether Deshaun Watson will be playing for the Texans in 2021, as he officially requested a trade Thursday. If he is on the roster, the Texans need to build around him, especially on defense. The problem? They don’t have the cap space or draft picks this year to find those impact players.
Biggest X factor: Figuring out their quarterback situation. If it’s not Watson, they need to use the return they get in a trade to figure out their long-term solution at the position. Houston has been through a prolonged coaching carousel before, and the priority has to be avoiding that going forward. — Sarah Barshop
If the situation with Watson were nonexistent, it would be easier to determine where the Texans actually stand when it comes to executing a soft rebuild and getting back into playoff contention. However, if the club is truly going to deal their three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, regardless of the haul it will bring in the NFL draft, lean times are ahead until Houston effectively rebuilds. At that point, then a proper evaluation of the team’s Super Bowl chances can begin.
