The Houston Texans did not allow Deshaun Watson to play a single snap last season, even if he led the league in passing yards in 2020.
He’s not injured at all, but legal issues kept him from playing.
However, the team could care not less about continuously paying the Pro Bowl quarterback even if he’s essentially a glorified benchwarmer.
That said, Watson is looking for a fresh start and he reportedly has two teams in mind, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
#Texans QB Deshaun Watson has begun evaluating potential teams to play for in the 2022 season, the #Vikings and #Buccaneers are among teams on his radar, according to @JFowlerESPN pic.twitter.com/T9oguzwCFH
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 16, 2022
It makes sense for the Texans to trade Watson to either the Minnesota Vikings or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Both teams can claim that they are a quarterback away from becoming contenders.
More importantly, Watson has the final say about his destination because of his no-trade clause that will last until the 2025 season.
Why Minnesota Or Tampa Bay Makes Sense
The Buccaneers are desperate for a quarterback after Tom Brady announced his retirement.
They have also been linked to Russell Wilson as a potential successor for the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Landing a top-tier quarterback will motivate their marquee free agents like Rob Gronkowski and Chris Godwin to re-sign with Tampa Bay.
With Watson in place, they get a younger quarterback that can sling the ball downfield.
The Buccaneers will remain playoff fixtures for the foreseeable future if they land Watson.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are having a fresh start with new head coach Kevin O’Connell.
He will bring the offensive scheme that helped the Los Angeles Rams win Super Bowl LVI and Watson will be able to run the system like Matthew Stafford.
But bringing him in will entail trading Kirk Cousins to Houston.
If that happens, the Vikings are a team to watch with Watson, Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Justin Jefferson.
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