The Deshaun Watson trade rumors have included the Miami Dolphins from the start.
Then the Carolina Panthers showed up as a bit of a surprise NFL team now that Sam Darnold is turning into a pumpkin right before Halloween.
One thing fans have to remember is that even amid all the drama, Watson still has a no-trade clause in his contract.
He must waive that to be traded, thus avoiding a scenario where the Texans send him to a bad team as a form of punishment.
Watson has reportedly only waived the clause for one team so far and that is knocking the Panthers out of the running.
Sources: Owner David Tepper and the #Panthers are not expected to pursue #Texans QB Deshaun Watson at this time. The QB has only waived his no-trade clause for the #Dolphins.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2021
The Panthers giving up on Watson either means they know he won’t waive the clause or that the asking price is way too high.
Yet the asking price doesn’t matter if Watson won’t agree to go there.
Either way, this can be seen as a positive for Carolina.
The Panthers will not be pursuing Deshaun Watson before the trade deadline on November 2nd, according to @josephperson.
Carolina could try to trade for Watson in the offseason depending on his legal situation. pic.twitter.com/cD8UuUzypW
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 27, 2021
Focusing On The Talent In The Building
Darnold is showing major regression without Christian McCaffrey in the backfield.
Yet Carolina still acquired him this offseason and are still 3-4 on the season.
Adding Watson, who hasn’t played football all year, would require major changes to the offense and there is no way to know if he could be fine without McCaffrey either.
P.J. Walker can also get some playing time this year as the Panthers evaluate their quarterback situation.
If they truly bottom out, they can draft a quarterback in 2022.
2022 is also a year of unknowns for Watson and any team acquiring him via a trade.
While the NFL has not suspended him now, that could change given his legal situation that remains unresolved.
They can leave that potential problem up to the Texans or Dolphins as both teams navigate this unique situation.
NEXT: Panthers Officially Going Nowhere Without Christian McCaffrey
