The Houston Texans are in an incredibly tough spot with Deshaun Watson right now.
Initially, he just demanded to be traded and the team held off.
The situation has added a whole new layer considering all the pending lawsuits facing Watson right now.
It is hard to believe any team would trade for him without knowing the final outcome of his legal situation.
That is why it was surprising when this tweet dropped Wednesday night.
Source: Talks are heating up between #Eagles and #Texans on a Deshaun Watson trade. Still some hurdles to get over. But both sides attempting to come to an agreement.
— Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) August 5, 2021
This would certainly be some major news.
However, it appears we have conflicting reports.
Source says contrary to a report that trade talks between Eagles and Texans for Deshaun Watson are "heating up," they are not.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 5, 2021
So who is to be believed?
One Giant Factor
Watson’s legal situation not yet being cleared up is going to realistically prevent any team from making a move.
That includes the Philadelphia Eagles.
Perhaps that is one of the “hurdles” mentioned in the tweet from Chris Trapasso.
That is a giant hurdle, but talks reportedly at least taking place means the Texans are finally getting the ball rolling on trying to move on from the former franchise quarterback.
Watson has 22 civil suits against him and 10 criminal complaints.
This situation is going to take time and the NFL is not even limiting Watson’s ability to play right now.
But that can all change in an instant and there is also the locker room fit to consider given the nature of his alleged actions.
Fit In Philly
Jalen Hurts likely got a few texts sent his way once the Watson news initially dropped.
The Eagles sent Carson Wentz to Indianapolis in order to free up the starting job for Hurts.
Going out and adding Watson right before the season, given all his legal problems, would be a major shock and could derail the state of an already up-in-the-air Eagles offense.
At this point the Eagles owe it to Hurts to let him open the year as the starter, barring an unforeseen miserable preseason.
Obviously, this whole conversation would be different if Watson were only asking for a trade without all the allegations facing him.
But we live in reality and that is the case, so the Eagles would be wise to stay away for now.
Meanwhile, In Houston
Watson being at Texans camp but not running the offense is bizarre.
He showed up to avoid a fine, but the team has to see that he is only a major distraction.
Every single person on the field knows their quarterback wants out of Houston and being a “good teammate” does not eliminate any distraction.
So yes, the Texans should be seeking a trade.
But any NFL GM with common sense has to realize this is a much bigger situation than football.
NEXT: Deshaun Watson Reporting To Training Camp Does Not Ultimately Matter