Deshaun Watson on Texans shopping Will Fuller ahead of NFL trade deadline: 'It would've been hell'
The franchise quarterback in Houston is tired of losing weapons

Deshaun Watson just wants it to stop. That is a reference to both losing and the Houston Texans shipping out his most prolific receiving weapons. The team sent All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason along with a 2020 fourth-round pick in exchange for running back David Johnson plus a second-round pick in 2020 and a fourth-rounder in 2021. It took no time at all for the Texans to regret that decision and yet, even with then general manager Bill O'Brien now fired, they were willing to at least entertain trading another dynamic wideout in Will Fuller ahead of the Nov. 3 trade deadline.
Speaking to the media following a much-needed win in Week 9 over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson didn't bite his tongue about it.
"It would have been hell if they would have did that, for sure," he said, via ESPN. "Honestly, I'm glad to continue to play with Will. We've been making a lot of big, big plays since I came into this league, [and we're] going to continue to do that as we continue to go the rest of this year and hopefully the rest of our careers."
Fuller, one of the more dangerous complements to Hopkins when the latter was in Houston, led the team in receiving yards (490) and receiving touchdowns (5) ahead of the deadline -- including a touchdown in each of the last five games -- giving him strong value on a market of teams that called frequently to see what it would take to get him out of a Texans uniform. He added another 100 receiving yards and another touchdown in helping to defeat the Jaguars, but he wasn't exactly pleased either about having been placed on the block just a week prior.
While he was being shopped, Fuller took to Twitter to voice his feelings about it all in a telling gif.
— Will Fuller V (@Will_Fuller7) November 3, 2020
"It really sucked," Fuller said of the experience. "[To be] shopped around like that."
Currently playing under a fifth-year option, the former first-round pick is disheartened by it all, but will remain focused on the task at hand, which includes continuing to try and help the Texans climb out of a 2-6 hole while increasing his value ahead of his first-ever walk in NFL free agency.
"Just giving this organization my all, coming to work every day, very unselfish player, do everything they ask, and then to be shopped around ... I did feel a certain type of way," Fuller said. "But like I said, I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to play with Deshaun and continue to try to get wins with this organization."
For Watson, it's equally as unnerving. What Hopkins is doing with the Cardinals in 2020 is as obvious as what the receiving group as a whole -- Fuller and at least competent Brandin Cooks notwithstanding -- are not doing this season. Having signed a four-year, $177.5 million contract extension in September, Watson is likely scratching his head at the Texans willingness to not simply put Fuller on the trading block, but reportedly other receivers as well, seeing as it's not like the team can spare any.
In the end, no trade was made and Fuller will at least get to play out his rookie deal with Watson. Given some soreness surrounding what almost happened at the trade deadline, however, things may or may not be completely copacetic come March.
















