The Houston Texans have a problem on their hands. Their star quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is unhappy with the organization and has formally requested a trade.
After drafting Kyler Murray with the first pick in the 2019 draft, one would think the Cardinals should not be a team interested in acquiring Watson’s services. However, there are several reasons for Arizona to entertain a trade for Watson.
Watson is a proven talent and widely considered a top-five quarterback. He has been in the league for four years and is already a three-time Pro Bowler. Last season, despite the talent around him, he completed 70% of his passes and passed for a league-best 4,823 yards.
NFC West divisional rivals will have interest as well. The San Francisco 49ers are expected to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo, and rumors are circulating the Los Angeles Rams might be moving on from Jared Goff. Trading for Watson would keep him from going to a division rival.
Watson already has a connection with star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Watson and Hopkins were teammates in Houston for three years before Hopkins was traded to Arizona. In 2018, Hopkins posted his best season with more than 1,500 yards and had double-digit touchdowns for two of his three seasons with Watson.
But there is one reason above all others why the Cardinals should trade for Watson — his unquestionable leadership.
This past February, former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien spoke to Texans reporter Drew Dougherty and provided insight into what makes Watson an excellent leader.
- He leads by example.
- He leads with his work ethic.
- He is in early and stays late.
- He is always in the weight room, taking care of his body.
- He will do whatever needs to be done at practice, stay after practice to fix a route or go out early to work on center-quarterback cadence or things like that.
- He cares about being as good of a player and a teammate as he can be every single day.
- He tries to get better every day.
- He’s a very smart player.
- He has improved every single year.
Last summer, Watson was asked how much it meant to be the leader of the Texans. “It’s just in my DNA,” he said, according to Texans Wire’s Mark Lane. “Leadership just comes with responsibility and things like putting the work first. People just follow. That’s how I lead. With putting the weight on my shoulders, I don’t see it that way. I know it’s a lot of pressure to play quarterback, especially for this organization. We want to achieve things this organization hasn’t done.”
That sounds like a leader to me.
In December, I wrote about how Kyler Murray’s leadership and demeanor were questionable in the face of adversity.
Questions rose again during the Cardinals’ Week 17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. On the opening possession, Murray was sacked and injured his ankle. After visits to the locker room, Murray had his ankle taped but remained sidelined until the Cardinals first possession in the fourth quarter. When asked why he waited until the fourth quarter to reenter the game, Murray said, “I had to let some things kick in.”
It doesn’t take nearly three quarters of football for pain meds to kick in.
Both Watson and Murray have talent. But it’s their ability to be a leader that sets them apart.
And, that is the biggest question on Kyler Murray. His ability to be a leader. Something you don’t have to question with Deshaun Watson. The ability to be an effective leader is the difference between being a good quarterback vs. a great one.
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