NFL Rumors: Deshaun Watson's friendship with Jalen Hurts is why QB didn't choose a trade to the Eagles
Several media members and fans were pushing the Philadelphia Eagles to trade for Deshaun Watson. But was the quarterback's relationship with Eagles star Jalen Hurts the reason why he didn't ask for a trade to Philly?
According to reports, Deshaun Watson didn't want to take Jalen Hurts' starting quarterback position away from him in Philadelphia, which is why he didn't waive his no-trade clause for them.
Watson, however, was open to joining several other teams. Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio explained that several teams wanted Deshaun Watson. He said:
“I would say there was a fair amount of teams, but what we tried to do was bring the teams that had a legitimate interest, and that was based off the compensation that was presented. Going back to the earlier questions, I think there was a certain threshold that I had established in order to make it a legitimate discussion, and if we got to that point then we could engage further. I don’t want to get into the exact number, but there was a few more, however many teams than what everybody was reporting towards the end.”
In the end, it was the Cleveland Browns that got Deshaun Watson.
Why did the Eagles make the right choice by not trading for Deshaun Watson
The Philadelphia Eagles were smart not to go after Deshaun Watson despite cries from some NFL analysts like Kyle Brandt of the NFL Network. Brandt said the Eagles aren't married to Jalen Hurts and they should go after Watson. But why rely on a guy who may miss a few games, if not the entire season?
Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa have been dealing with Deshaun Watson rumors for over a year and never blinked twice… Baker Mayfield deals with them for one day and folds… soft af 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/OcPzKd9JxY
The NFL could still suspend Watson if he's deemed to be in violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. So why take the risk?
As good as Watson is, the Eagles would be taking a huge risk trading for a guy who hasn't played in over a year and who may not see the field this year. Jalen Hurts also did lead Philadelphia to the playoffs this season, so it wasn't like he failed. In fact, he probably exceeded expectations.
Jalen Hurts had 10 rushing TDs last season and this one was so filthy. https://t.co/JVfdc47UtN
And while Watson is the better quarterback, the risk was too big for the Eagles to take. The Eagles are a young team on the rise and bringing in Watson may have messed up the team's chemistry.