Deshaun Watson doesn’t want to play for the Houston Texans. The organization is ready to move on from him. The big holdup has been his ongoing legal issues wherein 22 women allege he committed sexual assault.
Before any team commits significant investment commensurate with the talent of a franchise quarterback, they want to see the civil lawsuit resolved.
Although the ordeal engenders frustration for all sides, Texans coach Lovie Smith remains patient.
“We would like a prompt resolution to it,” Smith told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on March 2. “But I’m also a patient man, too, and time normally takes care of everything.”
Watson sat out the entire 2021 season, although he did attend mandatory training camp practices. However, he was not part of any of the team portions of practice in the summer.
Smith knows that the three-time Pro Bowler would like to get back out on the field.
Said Smith: “We understand this is year two, and I know Deshaun wants to play, and it will come to a head. I have faith in that. We just have to give it a little bit of time, and hopefully everybody will be happy with it. I’m sure that will be the case.”
Free agency opens March 16 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. The tampering period is a 48-hour window prior to that. The Texans can field inquiries about Watson before then, but the off-field issues are a stumbling block to reseting Watson’s career in a new NFL city.