Is Deshaun Watson now resigned to the prospect that he and the Carolina Panthers deserve one another?
That wasn’t the case this past season, as a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Thursday confirmed the belief that the Houston Texans quarterback wasn’t willing to accept a trade to Carolina. But, with previously interested teams since opting for other solutions under center, has Watson changed his stance on the possibility?
According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, he could might be.
“The Panthers are among the NFL teams closely monitoring the Watson situation,” Wilson writes. “Watson has a no-trade clause in his $156 million contract and is reportedly open-minded toward several NFL teams, including the Panthers.”
Florio’s report, additionally, noted that there remain multiple teams willing to try a trade for Watson even without a resolution to his legal troubles. The 26-year-old is currently facing 22 civil cases and 10 criminal complaints stemming from sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault allegations.
With Carolina’s desperation for a quarterback and their longstanding interest in Watson, it may be smart to assume they’re one of those teams. It might also be safe to assume—given the Panthers’ dreary outlook with what may be a lame-duck coach and almost no offensive identity or line to speak of—that Watson may be noticing that his options are dwindling as his off-field issues continue to drag on.
