Deshaun Watson trade rumors: Dolphins reportedly emerging as front-runner for Texans’ quarterback

Deshaun Watson’s immediate future has been in a state of limbo. The Miami Dolphins may be the team that paints a clearer picture.

Miami has emerged as the front-runner in trade discussions for Watson, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. The Houston Texans still want a king’s ransom for Watson, seeking three first-round picks and two second-round picks in negotiations with any team. The Dolphins weren’t the only team interested in Watson, as the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles reportedly inquired about the Pro Bowl quarterback. 

The Panthers and Eagles may be out of the running. CBS Sports senior NFL writer Jonathan Jones said the Panthers are not pursuing Watson “at this time,” which could change pending the results of lawsuits against Watson. The Eagles have not named Jalen Hurts their starting quarterback — even though he’s taken all the first team reps in every practice this preseason. Philadelphia also traded a conditional sixth-round pick for Gardner Minshew Saturday, although Minshew adds depth to a quarterback room rather than competing with Hurts for the starting job. 

Miami currently has Tua Tagovailoa as its starting quarterback. If the Dolphins are interested in Watson, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft could be used as a trade chip instead of giving up a high draft pick. Miami has a first (from the San Francisco 49ers) and second-round pick in the 2022 draft — along with two first-round picks (one from the 49ers) in the 2023 draft. 

The Texans have Tyrod Taylor as their starter while Watson remains on their roster. Watson is facing 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct in massage sessions. Those cases are ongoing, which has made it difficult for the league and the Texans to take any action regarding a possible suspension or trade. Watson has not been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List because it has not concluded by the league that a major violation occurred. Watson has taken part in the individual portion of practice throughout the preseason, but his day concludes once 11-on-11 drills begin. He’s the Texans fourth-string quarterback while the team awaits a resolution on his future. 

Watson’s football resume is accomplished for a quarterback that just turned 25. He’s the only player in NFL history to record consecutive seasons with 25-plus passing touchdowns and 5-plus rushing touchdowns. Watson joins Steve Young (1994, 1998) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with more than one of such season. He’s the first player in NFL history to surpass 10,000 career passing yards and 1,000 career rushing yards in his first 40 career games and the first player in league history to record over 70 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing touchdowns in his first 40 games.

Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and yards per attempt (8.9) in 2020. He owns a career passer rating of 104.5, trailing only Patrick Mahomes for the highest in NFL history.