There may be more teams interested in Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson than was originally thought.
According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, up to 10 teams are monitoring the Watson situation, which will have some clarity on March 11 as the grand jury meets for the criminal case and also Watson gives a separate deposition in the civil case.
As much as Friday marks an important day in the case with that outcome remaining unclear, the level of interest around the NFL isn’t. Up to 10 NFL teams are actively monitoring the Watson situation, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
Three of those teams, according to Wilson, are the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, and New Orleans Saints.
Carolina makes the most sense as they are close to where Watson grew up in Atlanta, Ga., and also where he played college ball at Clemson. The Panthers also have a need at quarterback given that the Sam Darnold experiment didn’t work out.
The Seahawks are another team that seems like a good landing spot as they have an opening at quarterback. Seattle has been exploring scenarios wherein they could acquire the three-time Pro Bowler.
A surprise team among the 10 are the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have a need at quarterback following the departure of Drew Brees, but they also are salary cap-strapped and may not be able to take on Watson’s $40 million cap hit for this season — at least not without some maneuvering on their part.
Watson’s trade request has been active since January 2021. The civil suit against Watson wherein 22 women allege he committed sexual assault has stymied his move to a new NFL city, especially considering there have been criminal complaints filed with the Houston Police Department, the FBI has conducted its own investigation, and the NFL is still investigating the complaints as they relate to its personal conduct policy.
