Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he has veto power over any trade proposal the team presents to him — much like the power Jadeveon Clowney had in the 2019 offseason.
The Texans can’t just trade him anywhere and get the Christmas Day super spectacular of draft picks they want.
Similarly, the Texans technically don’t have to trade Watson; they can keep him under contract and tell him to lump it with new general manager Nick Caserio and new coach David Culley.
What are Watson’s options if the Texans don’t give in to his trade demands?
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, if Watson doesn’t show up to mandatory minicamp, presuming the NFL allows the offseason program to happen, he can be fined $95,877. Missing organized team activities is no problem as those workouts are considered voluntary.
If Watson holds out through training camp, they can fine him $50,000 per day of each day of training camp missed along with one-week salary for each preseason game missed. Watson’s one-week salary is $620,000.
If the 25-year-old decides that he has had enough and wants to retire, the Texans would have the right to collect $21.6 million from their former 2017 first-round pick. Furthermore, just because Watson retired doesn’t mean the Texans lose his rights. Should he un-retire, he would return back to the Texans.
Houston and Watson may have to work out their differences and get through 2021 together. The start to the post-Bill O’Brien era has not gone well for the Texans through the first month as Watson allegedly has not spoken with Caserio.
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