The topic is going to be one people talk about for months. The Houston Texans made that clear when they found a way to alienate their best player in Deshaun Watson. A franchise quarterback coming off his best season. One would think a smart ownership would do everything possible to accommodate the man. Instead, they went out of their way to dismiss his thoughts at every turn.
Reports indicate Watson was promised input on who the next GM and head coach would be for the franchise. He provided them a list of options he liked for both. Team owner Cal McNair also received recommendations for a GM from a consulting firm. Both of which he promptly ignored and ended up hiring former Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio. Better still? They didn’t even bother to set up an interview with Watson’s preferred coach of choice.
Moves Watson was clearly unhappy about.
He’d been down the Patriots road already with Bill O’Brien. He didn’t want any more of it. Now word persists he hasn’t spoken to McNair or anybody else in the organization since. He was recently spotted in a San Francisco 49ers jersey on Instagram. Former Texans legend Andre Johnson called the organization pathetic and urged the young quarterback to get out while he can.
Houston obviously isn’t keen on trading the only star they have. Watson though has enough leverage to force their hand. It’s a matter of whether he is committed to doing so. If the answer is yes, then he needs to find a destination he’d be willing to go. ESPN analyst Max Kellerman was asked this question. In his mind, if it’s about legacy and a chance to be great? There is one team the quarterback should shoot for.
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Would Bears be willing to pay the Deshaun Watson price tag?
Knowing Ryan Pace, the answer is probably yes. He is desperate for a franchise quarterback and Watson is one of the best in the AFC. He’s 25, in his prime, and threw for over 4,800 yards and 33 TDs despite playing with mostly scrub wide receivers most of the year. He is a star and the Bears desperately need a star if they’re going to keep what’s left of their Super Bowl window open.
The tricky part is whether Watson himself actually would want to come to Chicago. Sure it’s a storied franchise in a huge market. However, they also have a coach and GM on the hot seat and play in cold weather for half a season each year. To say nothing of their limited resources available to surround him with enough talent. Last but not least? Don’t forget Pace bypassed him for Mitch Trubisky back in 2017. Competitors like Watson tend not to forget things like that.
It is difficult to envision that sort of deal happening.
Not just because Deshaun Watson may see other teams as better landing spots, but also because other teams can put together better trade packages. Remember the Bears don’t have a top 10 pick to offer nor a halfway decent quarterback the Texans might take in return. The idea of a trade is great to think about. The logistics just don’t seem possible.