Houston Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson has officially asked the team to trade him. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
According to Schefter, who cites a league source, Watson actually made the trade request “weeks ago.”
Watson’s wish to get out of Houston isn’t a secret. It was reported shortly after the regular season wrapped up that the 25-year-old Pro Bowler is unhappy with the Texans and would like a change of scenery.
According to those reports, the main reason for Watson’s unhappiness is the way the Houston Texans handled their search for a new general manager and head coach. The player was promised to have input during the process, but the Texans didn’t consider the candidates he endorsed and hired New England Patriots executive Nick Caserio for the GM position.
In case the Texans decide to honor Deshaun Watson’s request, they won’t have the luxury to accept the best offer on the table. Watson signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension in September and received a no-trade clause as a part of the deal. Thanks to this, he can block any trade that he doesn’t like.
Watson had a career-best season in 2020 despite the Texans struggling as a team. He had 4,823 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, setting Houston’s single-season records in those categories.
