Will Deshaun Watson play in Week 3? David Culley provides update after Tyrod Taylor injury
The Deshaun Watson saga put the Houston Texans in a difficult situation this season, and it's about to get worse.
Despite expectations being low for the Houston Texans, Tyrod Taylor was playing lights out at the start of the season. Unfortunately, the quarterback suffered a hamstring injury against the Cleveland Browns and he'll be a confirmed absence against the Carolina Panthers for Thursday Night Football.
Davis Mills replaced him against Cleveland, but the young QB will have little time to brace himself with a short week on the horizon. Mills was far from impressive in Week 2 and it does not look like he will be better against the Panthers, who boast one of the NFL's best defenses this year.
With Taylor out and Mills an inexperienced backup, would the return of Deshaun Watson be a possibility for the Texans? Head coach David Culley provided an update on Monday.
Deshaun Watson will remain inactive
Culley declared on Monday that even though Taylor will miss Thursday's game, Watson's status hasn't changed.
"Deshaun Watson will be deactivated this week, just like he's been for the first two ballgames", Culley started his press conference with.
It's not really a surprise, even with Taylor's injury. Watson is going through a complicated situation with his legal issues and has also stated multiple times that he will not play for the Texans again. There are major hurdles to overcome in order for him to get back on the field, and it looks like he will be inactive for every game this season.
#Texans coach David Culley confirms to reporters what has become obvious: Deshaun Watson won’t play in Week 3 despite Tyrod Taylor’s hamstring injury. Expect his status to remain the same.
Watson's trade request
After a 4-12 season last year, Watson requested a trade from the franchise. With DeAndre Hopkins traded, Bill O'Brien fired and the nauseous Jack Easterby saga, the quarterback felt it was time for him to move on.
Watson felt his future would be wasted at a franchise with so many off-field problems, so he made his displeasure clear and requested a trade. However, during the offseason, more than 20 women accused Watson of sexual assault.
The training camp was weird, as Watson was present to avoid fines from the league but did not practice with his teammates or get involved in any workouts or meetings. He reported to the facility and that was it.
Deshaun Watson is practicing despite 24 women accusing him of sexual assault, ten of them criminally. If the NFL has changed the personal conduct policy, update us. Players like Zeke & Big Ben were suspended multiple games for one woman’s allegations: https://t.co/zLoZaelXgu
The legal process is still ongoing and the NFL has not issued any fines or suspensions for Watson so far. The possibility, however, remains. Teams looking to acquire the quarterback will be well aware that they may be unable to avail of his services for a considerable amount of time.
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