Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is facing 22 sexual assault lawsuits from as many women in Harris County district court.
Peter King from NBC Sports believes the evidence brought to light over the past week could increase the chances Watson faces punitive action from the NFL.
1. I think this past week revealed enough evidence in the Deshaun Watson case to suggest—suggest, I say—that there’s a good chance Watson will be suspended or put on the Commissioner’s Exempt List (rendering him ineligible to play) for at least part of the 2021 season. I can’t see another team trading for him until his legal situation is resolved.
If the rest of the NFL believes there is a good chance Watson will face such a punishment, then it affects the Texans’ ability to trade him period, let alone get anything substantial in return.
King suggested the Carolina Panthers may not be out of the Watson sweepstakes, although he noted that they may not give up a king’s ransom.
What complicates matters for the Texans is if they deal Watson after the NFL drat, which is looking more likely. If Houston trades Watson after the draft, their compensation will be lower than what it would have been prior to the draft. However, the trading up from the San Francisco 49ers and the Panthers acquisition of former New York Jets first-round quarterback Sam Darnold suggests the league may be moving on from the notion of Watson playing in a new city.
