The Houston Texans have not seen Deshaun Watson play a single snap this season and it seems unlikely at this point in time that he will play. Instead, they were open to dealing their former franchise quarterback. Ahead of the NFL trade deadline, there were plenty of interested teams, but no one ended up pulling the trigger on a deal for him.
Now, the future looks very bleak for Watson returning to the Texans. He is still dealing with quite a few off-the-field issues that will need to be resolved before resuming his playing career. However, there is expected to be a large trade market for him in the offseason.
Last season, Watson ended up playing in all 16 games for Houston. He completed 70.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Watson also picked up 444 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Needless to say, when he's healthy and no in trouble off-the-field, Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the game. He is also just 26 years old at this stage of his career. That kind of talent and potential would force plenty of teams to have interest even with the question marks that Watson has around him away from the game.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at four teams who should already be targeting an offseason trade for Watson.
Potential Deshaun Watson Trades
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
Let's be honest, there are very few teams in the NFL that could use a new starting quarterback than the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger is old and this should be his last season in the league. He has considered retirement over the last two years, but has yet to decide to hang up the cleats.
Replacing Roethlisberger with Watson would immediately put the Steelers back on the map in the AFC. Having an offense featuring Watson, Najee Harris, Chase Claypool, and JuJu Smith-Schuster (if they retain him again) would be dangerous.
Pittsburgh has to seriously consider making a change at the quarterback position this offseason. If they choose to go that route, it is likely that Mike Tomlin would prefer a veteran quarterback. Watson would give them that veteran quarterback while still offering a long-term option.
3. Minnesota Vikings
This one could be a bit of a surprise to some readers. The Vikings currently have Kirk Cousins as their starter and they did draft Kellen Mond in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, they need an upgrade at the quarterback position to become real threats in the NFC.
Outside of the quarterback position, the Vikings are a very good all-around football team. Unfortunately, they have a quarterback who has been proven to be unable to win the big game and make the right plays in those big games. With Watson, the Vikings could immediately jump up to being a legitimate contender in the NFC.
Deshaun Watson would be a massive upgrade for the Vikings and would provide them with quarterback play that they haven't had in years. Quite simply, replacing Cousins would be a massive addition in and of itself, even though he is a solid quarterback himself. A star quarterback would make all of the difference for Minnesota and they should be considering the option of trading for Watson.
2. Denver Broncos
One of the teams that was being mentioned as a potential trade destination for Watson in the offseason was the Broncos. They ended up acquiring Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers to replace Drew Lock as their starter. But, they also still held onto Lock and do not seem to be ready to just dump him quite yet.
The opportunity to acquire Watson is one that the Broncos should jump at the chance to do if it arises. Denver is a star quarterback away from getting back into contention in the AFC West. Even Bridgewater has given the Broncos new life.
Deshaun Watson is a far superior quarterback to Bridgewater and Lock. There is no question about that fact. If the Broncos want to swing big at getting back into serious contention, John Elway should look no further than trading for Watson.
1. Miami Dolphins
Ahead of the NFL trade deadline, the Dolphins were a team that many thought could pull the trigger on a deal for Deshaun Watson. In fact, they were extremely interested in getting something done, but nothing ended up materializing. Revisiting a potential trade in the offseason seems like a very good possibility for both sides.
Tua Tagovailoa has shown signs of being a potential franchise quarterback for Miami, but he has had consistency issues. The Dolphins are sick and tired of struggling and want to do anything they possibly can to get back into playoff contention. Making a trade for Watson could help them get there next season.
Deshaun Watson would be able to come in and change everything we currently know about the Dolphins' offense. They are a unit that has loads of individual potential, but the quarterback play has restricted them. Adding Watson to this group of talent could make them one of the most dangerous offenses in the league.
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