Texans reveal their plans for Deshaun Watson in 2021

The Houston Texans are planning to keep Deshaun Watson on their 53-man roster for the 2021 season even if he’ll be inactive every week.

The lack of resolution in the Deshaun Watson saga has the Houston Texans looking ahead to some roster management decisions for the 2021 season.

What’s the plan for Watson? He’s going to remain on the 53-man roster but inactive, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.

That may be a signal to teams looking to trade for the embattled quarterback. Houston isn’t going to accept a cut-rate price to avoid keeping Watson on the roster. They reportedly want at least three first-round draft picks for him and they’ll take the roster hit if they can’t get that return.

Deshaun Watson update: Texans to keep QB inactive on 53-man roster

The Texans have to make cuts down to 53 on Tuesday, so the clock is ticking to get a deal done. Of course, it’s a complicated process.

Watson may be a franchise-level quarterback, but he’s dealing with serious allegations of sexual misconduct. A group of massage therapists in the Houston area have filed 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault.

Before all that came out, Watson pushed for a trade away from the Texans with his eye on joining a team set up to contend in the NFL. The trouble is, a trade for Watson at that asking price feels near impossible given the uncertainty around his legal situation.

On Monday, Houston head coach David Culley called Watson’s roster situation “day-to-day,” per Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle.

It could be a fascinating 24 hours for Watson and the Texans as they continue to figure out where he’ll be come Wednesday.

The most likely outcome? He’ll probably still be a Texan unless Houston drastically lowers their trade expectations or another team gets very desperate.