Deshaun Watson is beyond perturbed.
Chairman and CEO Cal McNair indicated the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback would be able to give his input with regards to the direction of the franchise following the firing of Bill O’Brien as coach and general manager on Oct. 5. Instead, with the general manager hiring of the New England Patriots’ Nick Caserio, it appears the club is only going to let his input fall on deaf ears.
Omar Khan and Louis Riddick were the two finalists the search firm Korn Ferry presented to McNair. Instead, he went with Caserio, a friend of Jack Easterby’s from the Patriots.
Maybe some things never change.
The Texans have one more big hire at coach. Presuming that the hire isn’t one that Watson believes signals the club is going in a successful direction, the former 2017 first-round pick may want out of Houston.
If Watson wants to not be a part of the Texans, especially after signing a four-year, $177.5 million contract that keeps him under contract through the 2025 season, his departure may not come easily. In fact, Watson may have to take his lumps with Houston in 2021.
As Sarah Barshop from ESPN details, Watson’s options are either costly or impractical. If Watson sat out, the team could fine him up to $40,000 per day he misses camp, and he would also be subject to additional forfeitures if he does not report on time for the regular season or misses games.
There goes the Le’Veon Bell route.
If Watson were to force a trade from the organization in 2021, the team would have a dead money hit to the salary cap of $22 million, which they would rather not endure given they are projected to be $17 million over the salary cap already. Trading Watson would trigger additional budget cuts to the roster. It would be a huge offset to the trade haul the Texans would get for dealing a franchise quarterback.
There goes the James Harden route.
If Watson were to pull a Jake Plummer and retire on the Texans, it wouldn’t mean he was a free agent. In fact, Watson could owe the Texans his guaranteed money from his contract. Additionally, the club would still have his playing rights until the Texans cut him. If they never cut him, the moment Watson came out of retirement, he would still be with Houston.
Watson needs to come to the negotiating table with McNair, Easterby, and Caserio and open the lines of communication. He may not be able to get out of Houston in 2021, but he can make the best out of a bad situation.
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