NFL Trade Rumors: Following Browns, Panthers to bow out from pursuit of Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is currently the hottest trade target of the 2022 NFL offseason. All reports indicate that the Houston Texans will trade him to a new team prior to the start of the season.
Many teams have been pursuing the young superstar quarterback, who last played during the 2020 NFL season when he led the entire NFL in passing yards.
Several teams have proposed offers to the Texans in an attempt to acquire Deshaun Watson, who also has a no-trade clause in his contract. This means that he has some power in choosing which team he wants to play for. He ultimately has the power to reject a trade to any team if he chooses to do so.
Earlier this week, Watson reportedly narrowed his options to four teams among all of them that made an offer to the Texans.
The Cleveland Browns were one of the teams that were in the final four, but have apparently been notified that they are out of the running. Either Watson decided that he didn't want to play for the Browns, or the Texans rejected their offer on the table.
The Browns have been informed they’re out of the Deshaun Watson trade discussions, per source.
Another team that was in the mix of the reported final four teams is the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately for them, they appear to be in a similar situation to the Browns.
Either Watson has decided that he would rather not join the Panthers, or the Texans turned down their offer because they like their other options better. Either way, it's rumored that the Panthers are no longer in the mix.
Barring a Hail Mary, seems to be headed this way for the Panthers as well. twitter.com/jeffphowe/stat…
With the Browns and Panthers rumored to be eliminated from contention, there are two NFL teams remaining as the clear frontrunners to land Watson via trade.
Which NFL teams are most likely to acquire Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans?
The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are rumored to be the final two teams remaining in the race to acquire Deshaun Watson. They have both reportedly made offers to the Houston Texans, while Watson has apparently approved them as potential destinations for the 2022 season.
Unless another team enters the mix, it appears that Watson could be heading to the NFC South division after spending his entire career in the AFC South with the Texans. It would seem likely that he would be traded at some point before the 2022 NFL Draft.