The Pro Bowl quarterback has a no-trade clause in the four-year, $177.5m contract extension he signed with the Texans last summer
Thursday 28 January 2021 16:08, UK
Deshaun Watson has officially requested to be traded by the Houston Texans, reports NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The Pro Bowl quarterback has a no-trade clause in the four-year, $177.5m contract extension he signed with the Texans last summer.
Reports emerged in recent weeks that Watson had grown frustrated with the organisation after they failed to consult with him on the appointment of a new general manager, despite owner Cal McNair having told him he would be involved in the process. The Texans eventually hired Nick Caserio, who had been with the New England Patriots since 2001.
Watson is believed to have been insistent on a trade away regardless of who the Texans hired as their new head coach, which as of Wednesday night looks set to be Baltimore Ravens assistant David Culley.
While a no-trade clause means the Texans don't actually have to ship him, it does give Watson power in regards to where he would land.
The 25-year-old led the league with 4,823 passing yards during the regular season, finishing with a career-high 33 touchdowns and 70.2 completion percentage to just seven interceptions. He is currently the NFL's all-time leader in completion percentage ahead of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
Since being drafted 12th overall in 2017 he has thrown for a career 14,539 passing yards and 104 touchdowns, as well as rushing for 1,677 yards and 17 scores.
Houston stripped Watson of his leading weapon last offseason when then-general manager and head coach Bill O'Brien traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Texans finished 2020 third in the AFC South at 4-12 having won their division title in each of the previous two seasons, getting as far as the Divisional Round in 2019 where they relinquished a 24-point lead against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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