The Panthers officially fell out of the Deshaun Watson trade race on Thursday.
According to David Newton of ESPN, the main contributing factor in Carolina dropping out of the conversation was the team failing to guarantee the third and fourth years of Watson’s contract.
Watson reportedly chose to take himself out of the running with Carolina due to this issue. His representatives called the Panthers on Thursday night to share the update.
Watson is owed $64 million total in his third and fourth years based on his current contract with the Texans, according to Spotrac.
In his third year, Watson would be 28. Newton reported that normally quarterbacks don’t get the fourth years of their deals guaranteed.
Watson did not play during the 2021 season after being accused of sexual misconduct and assault by more than 20 women earlier in the year. Trade talks around the quarterback have heated up after a grand jury dismissed criminal charges against him, though he still faces 22 active civil lawsuits against him. A timeline of the allegations against Watson and his ongoing legal situation is available here.
With the Panthers out, Watson is still reportedly in discussions with the Saints and the Falcons. Because of his no-trade clause, he has to sign off on any deal from the Texans.
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