What are Deshaun Watson's chances of playing in the NFL? Explained

Deshaun Watson has not played in the NFL this season. But his future is suddenly under renewed focus following news of the Miami Dolphins potentially looking to trade him in from the Houston Texans.

#Texans are working toward a potential deal that would send Deshaun Watson to the Miami Dolphins that could get done this week. If not this week they still hope they can get it done before the Nov 2 trade deadline.

We evaluate the current situation Deshaun Watson is in and how his chances augur to play in the NFL.

Will Deshaun Watson play in the NFL this season?

Before we answer the question of whether Deshaun Watson will play in the NFL this season, it is important to understand what the present situation is. Deshaun Watson is currently part of the 53-man roster for the Houston Texans. That means he is not suspended by the team or by the league. He is eligible to play in an NFL game tomorrow.

The context that needs to be added here, though, is that the Houston Texans are not playing Deshaun Watson for two reasons. One, because the player had requested a trade before the season. Secondly, following his trade request, disturbing allegations regarding his behavior towards women came to light. He is currently facing 22 lawsuits and a criminal investigation is ongoing. In this situation, it is understandable that the Texans do not want to bring Deshaun Watson on to the field. So if a trade does not happen and he remains with the team, he has a very low chance of playing in the NFL this season.

This brings us to the possibility of trade. The NFL trade deadline is November 2nd. If any other NFL team, most likely the Miami Dolphins as per rumors, trades for Deshaun Watson, they will get a player who is ready to play in the NFL the moment he joins the team.

But this is where an additional complication arises in the form of the Commissioner's Exempt List. This list is decided by the NFL commissioner. It contains the names of players who can be suspended with pay so that they do not count towards the roster of any team. This list is generally used when a player is under serious criminal investigation.

Here’s the language from the personal conduct policy on use of the commissioner’s exempt list (paid leave). The NFL isn’t using it here as of now. https://t.co/07oFGUuozP

Right now, the NFL has had no need to fall back on this list because the Texans seem quite happy to pay Deshaun Watson without playing him. The player also seems happy with the arrangement until he gets a trade. But if a team trades for him and decides to start him, the NFL may yet put him on the list. So, even with a trade, Deshaun Watson's chances of playing in the NFL this season look dicey.