Deshaun Watson trade rumors: QB sweepstakes down to two teams
By Scott Rogust
There are now only two teams remaining in the trade discussions with the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
This week, there were four NFL teams that met with Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, hoping to successfully trade for him. Earlier on Thursday, the Cleveland Browns were ruled out of the running for the quarterback and now are dealing with the fallout of their pursuit. Now, the sweepstakes is down to two.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Carolina Panthers were informed that they are out on a potential trade for Watson.
With that, only the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons remain in the running.
The #Panthers have been informed they are out on a potential trade for #Texans QB Deshaun Watson, per me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2022
That leaves the #Falcons and #Saints.
Deshaun Watson trade rumors: QB sweepstakes down to two teams
Carolina being ruled out is not necessarily shocking, as Joe Person of The Athletic tweeted out that they were likely out of the running “barring a Hail Mary.”
The Panthers’ search for a new quarterback continues to roll on. They have tried a multitude of options in the past two years, including signing free agent Teddy Bridgewater, trading for former New York Jets first-round pick Sam Darnold and even brought back Cam Newton. Yet, none have panned out.
With Carolina out on Watson, it is back to the drawing board. To make matters worse for the Panthers, he is going to end up with one of their NFC South rivals.
New Orleans has been reported as the frontrunner to land Watson throughout the week. Additionally, the restructured the contracts of four players, including quarterback Taysom Hill, linebacker DeMario Davis and safety Malcolm Jenkins.
As for the Falcons, they have prepared themselves in case they were to acquire Watson. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Atlanta pushed back Matt Ryan’s $7.5 million roster bonus from Friday, March 18 to Tuesday, March 22. That is to allow time for Watson to make his decision and to trade Ryan if it becomes necessary.
When it comes to who Watson will play for in 2022, it will be either the Saints or Falcons.
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