The Indianapolis Colts want to get their next quarterback in the building as quickly as possible but like the rest of the league, their decision at that position is being held up entirely by Deshaun Watson.
With Watson becoming more available for trade, teams around the league are waiting on his decision before they make a move. Whatever team he decides to waive his no-trade clause for is likely to have a ripple effect for other quarterbacks.
Joel A. Erickson reported Thursday evening that Watson’s decision is the reason why we haven’t had much quarterback movement since the start of the new league year.
Know I’m not the first one to say this, and know that it’s very self-evident, but just to underline and bold it for Colts fans:
Been told by multiple sources that the QB market is entirely held up by Watson.
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) March 18, 2022
It makes sense that this would be the case. As of this writing, Watson’s decision appears to be coming down between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. Both teams have implications when it comes to the quarterback market.
If Watson were to choose the Falcons, that would make veteran Matt Ryan a candidate to be traded. The 36-year-old quarterback has emerged as a potential option for the Colts since Watson became available.
If Watson were to choose the Saints, that would mean a player like Jameis Winston would be more inclined to sign elsewhere as a free agent. The Colts have reported interest in Winston.
The Colts even tried to reach out to the Texans in an attempt to speak with Watson but the Texans denied that opportunity.
There are also the cases like Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield. Teams may want to wait to see what a potential trade for Matt Ryan looks like before moving those assets away.
Unfortuantely, it appears Watson is taking his sweet time. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported that the 26-year-old quarterback is expected to take a few days to decide.
Deshaun Watson currently expected to take next few days and contemplate his decision over weekend, per league sources, over which team he'll waive his no-trade clause for, and Falcons have pushed back Matt Ryan's $7.5 million roster bonus from Friday to Tuesday
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 18, 2022
This means, according to this report, we may not get quarterback movement until the weekend has already passed.
The Colts still have plenty of options to consider both in free agency and via trades but their move may not come until after Watson makes his decision.
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