Report: Deshaun Watson unhappy with Texans over hiring practices, could seek trade
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is reportedly unhappy with his team over the recent hiring of GM Nick Caserio, and it could lead to a blockbuster trade that puts Watson in another uniform before next season.
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Watson is displeased with how the team went about hiring Caserio, and that his preferences were ignored. He signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension just four months ago, and now he’s so unhappy that it’s leaked out to the press. It was reported that Watson was unhappy with the Texans’ “insensitivity” to social justice issues, but Mortensen later clarified that wasn’t the primary issue for Watson at this time.
Reports about Deshaun Watson's unhappiness with @HoustonTexans are accurate and sources close to the QB say he is still angry about team's insensitivity to social justice, including hiring practices, after the franchise failed to interview Chiefs OC Eric Bienemy this past week.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 10, 2021
Watson's unhappiness with Texans is not strongly connected to social justice issues, a source close to the quarterback clarifies, even though those issues are important.
His unhappiness is more current with state of franchise and what has transpired. https://t.co/wV4UDEIYzd— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 10, 2021
The Texans hired Nick Caserio as their new GM last week, not long after reports surfaced that they did not interview Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, who seems to be on every team’s interview list this offseason. Well, every team but the Texans.
It’s those kind of hiring practices that Watson is reportedly frustrated with. Search firm Korn Ferry, hired by team owner Cal McNair, reportedly recommended two minority candidates, Pittsburgh Steelers VP of football and business administration Omar Khan, and Monday Night Football analyst Louis Riddick, as finalists to fill the team’s empty GM job. But McNair reportedly took a hard right turn away from those names and hired Caserio, a white man who wasn’t on Korn Ferry’s list of candidates at all.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watson is said to be “furious” over McNair’s decision. He’s also reportedly upset that McNair didn’t tell him that Caserio was being hired before it happened, and had to find out about it on social media. Watson similarly wasn’t informed last offseason when the Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals.
Could Watson be traded?
If these rumors are true, the relationship between Watson and the Texas could be doomed. And that means one thing: a trade. According to Mortensen, Watson would consider being traded to the Miami Dolphins, which could be a blockbuster that would see Watson and Tua Tagovailoa trade cities.
Sources say Watson could play hardball with Texans about a trade. His new $156 million contract includes a no-trade clause but informed speculation from a source is that he would consider the @MiamiDolphins in which Tua Tagovailoa and additional compensation goes to Houston.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) January 10, 2021
This is all speculation at this point, because there’s still a chance that Watson and the Texans could work everything out. But if the Texans don’t care enough about Watson — the guy they signed to a massive extension just four months ago — to let him know they’ve hired someone to lead their football operations before he finds out about it on social media, the writing could be on the wall.
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