Though he’s still under contract with the Houston Texans until the 2025 NFL season, the departure of veteran quarterback Deshaun Watson from Space City seems inevitable. The Texans may have hesitated to trade Watson when he expressed his desire to leave in January but after 22 lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior were filed against him, Houston suddenly has a change of heart about keeping him on their roster.
As of now, the Texans have started listening to trade offers for Watson, hoping to find him a new home before the start of the 2021 NFL season.
Deshaun Watson To Minnesota Vikings
Despite the controversies that he’s currently involved in, Watson is currently receiving strong interest from NFL teams that want to improve their starting quarterback position. One of the potential trade partners for the Texans in the deal involving Watson is the Minnesota Vikings.
In a recent article, Mike Florio of NBC Sports talked about the rumors surrounding Watson and his future with the Texans. With Coach Mike Zimmer’s "exasperation" with starting QB Kick Cousins, Florio believes that the Vikings should "at least make a phone call" with the Texans regarding a potential Watson trade.
Proposed Trade To Acquire Deshaun Watson
As of now, it remains unknown if there is an ongoing trade discussion between the Texans and the Vikings involving Watson. However, in case both NFL teams decide to make a deal, Florio suggested a hypothetical trade idea that would make sense for the Texans and the Vikings.
"Kirk Cousins plus conditional picks in 2022 and 2023 based on Watson’s availability over the next two seasons could make sense for both teams," Florio wrote. "It would give Minnesota a path out of a maze in which they’re otherwise stuck, and it would solve Houston’s QB4 problem, too."
Swapping QBs Would Be Beneficial For Vikings & Texans
Florio believes that the proposed trade deal that would send Watsons to the Vikings in exchange for Cousins and two condition draft picks would be beneficial for both NFL teams. For the Vikings, it would help them solve the recent tension between Cousins and Miller, while acquiring a younger quarterback who could take them to the Super Bowl in the 2021 NFL season.
For the Texans, the suggested deal would allow them to distance themselves from the controversies involving Watson and add more draft assets to their collections. The departure of Watson would also enable them to give more playing time to Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills.
Is The Suggested Offer Enough To Convince The Texans To Make A Deal?
The trade package that includes Cousins and two conditional draft picks would undeniably be an intriguing return for Watson. However, it remains a big question mark if it would be enough to persuade the Texans to send Watson to Minnesota. Though they are currently aggressively finding him a new home, the Texans won’t trade Watson just for the sake of getting him out of Space City.
Despite the ongoing lawsuits filed against him, the Texans are still expected to receive a massive haul for the veteran quarterback. According to Sarah Barshop of ESPNthe Texans are demanding a combination of five high draft picks and starting-caliber players in exchange for Watson.
