Deshaun Watson's future with the Houston Texans is very much up in the air due to his reported trade request and off-field issues, but the Texans aren't ready to give him away for less than what they think he is worth. On Monday, Aaron Wilson reported that the Texans are prepared to have Watson on the 53-man roster, but label him inactive every week.
When specifically asked on Monday if Watson would be on the 53-man roster, head coach David Culley responded saying, "We're day to (day) with those things."
If Watson were to be on the roster yet inactive, Houston would still have to pay his base salary, which is set at $10.54 million this year, according to Spotrac. Watson is of course facing 22 ongoing civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by 22 different women. However, not much information regarding this situation has actually come to the forefront in the past few weeks, as the NFL hasn't concluded their investigation and nothing has come to fruition when it comes to charges or a grand jury.
This past weekend, it was reported that the Miami Dolphins had emerged as the front-runner for a potential trade for Watson. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported that Houston was seeking three first-round picks and two second-round picks in return for their star signal-caller. Yet, CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora reported on Monday that the Watson talk is just "hot air," calling the leaks "strategic spitballing." His reasoning makes sense, as there is much yet to be figured out before the Texans can really move forward with a trade that isn't affected by outstanding legal issues.
Watson's skill as a quarterback is undeniable. The 25-year-old led the NFL in passing yards with 4,823 and yards per attempt with 8.9 in 2020, and was reportedly garnering interest from many teams before the off-field issues came to light. Nothing is set in stone yet, as this situation continues to be fluid. As La Canfora wrote, only one team is feeling the heat -- and that's the Texans.
What's next for Deshaun Watson? And where do the Texans turn at QB? Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. If you already have the app, make sure to favorite the Texans to get the latest news quickly.
