Houston Texans Make Roster Decision on Deshaun Watson Before Trade Deadline
The Houston Texans have decided on quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of the trade deadline. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Watson will not be traded and will remain on the Texans roster until the offseason. Houston held discussions with the Miami Dolphins about trading Watson, but the quarterback's legal situation not being settled has led to teams staying away from him.
Watson has been hit with 22 pending civil lawsuits regarding sexual misconduct related to massage sessions along with 10 criminal complaints. He has not been charged with the crime, but the NFL and law enforcement are currently investigating. When the allegations first surfaced, Watson went to social media to announce his innocence.
"As a result of a social media post by a publicity-seeking plaintiff's lawyer, I recently became aware of a lawsuit that has apparently been filed against me," Watson wrote on Twitter back in March. "I have not yet seen the complaint, but I know this: I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect. The plaintiff's lawyer claims that this isn't about money, but before filing the suit, he made a baseless six-figure settlement demand, which I quickly rejected. Unlike him, this isn't about money for me - it's about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that."
Watson, 26, was selected No. 12 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. He has reached the Pro Bowl three times and was NFL's passing yards leader in 2020. Before the allegations, Watson asked for a trade because of his frustrations with the front office. Texans general manager Nick Caserio, who was hired during the offseason said in January the team had no interest in trading Watson.
"Organizationally, I just want to reiterate our commitment to Deshaun Watson," Caserio said. "He's had a great impact on this organization, a great impact on a lot of people, a great impact on this team, and we look forward to the opportunity to spend more time with him here this spring once we get started. And, you know, we have zero interest in trading the player. We have a great plan, a great vision for him and for this team and his role on our team." Watson has yet to play in one game for the Texans this season and will likely remain inactive for the rest of the year.