Deshaun Watson Asks Texans Fans Not to Protest on His Behalf

Deshaun Watson is not on speaking terms with the Houston Texans but wants the fans to not protest on his behalf. The 25-year old quarterback went to Twitter on Monday to ask fans not to march to NRG Stadium to protests the front office for their treatment of Watson. Things have gotten so bad that Watson could be with a new team by the start of next season.

“Although I am humbled I ask that whoever is organizing the march cancel for the sake of public safety,” Watson said in a tweet. “Covid is spreading at a high rate [and] I don’t want any fans to unnecessarily expose themselves to infection.” The “peaceful protest” was started by a Texans fan and took place at 11 a.m. CT. They started the protest at Lefty’s, the cheesesteak franchise, which Watson is a minority owner, and then walk a half-mile to the stadium. Videos of the protest showed fans in Watson jerseys walking to the stadium while wearing masks.

As much as the fans want Watson to stay in Houston, it might be too little too late. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said, per CBS Sports: “He is one unhappy camper and has no plans to be with the Houston Texans anytime soon. And while Watson has yet to speak publicly on the situation, he recently sent out a cryptic tweet, which indicated how angry he was with the organization. And there’s only one way to make the Pro Bowl quarterback happy.

“Sources close to Watson say this is bigger than firing Jack Easterby, the front office executive whom McNair says he won’t fire,” ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said. “He says – this source says – that unless (Texans owner) Cal McNair can fire himself, Deshaun Watson is not about to change his mind that he does not want anything to do with the Texans going forward.”

Watson is the face of the Texans franchise and is a big reason the team reached the playoffs two of the last three seasons. With him signing a big contract last year, many teams won’t be able to trade for him, but it has been reported Watson would like to play for the Miami Dolphins. Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract but can be asked to be traded to a team of his choosing.