The Washington Football Team is heading to arguably the biggest offseason in franchise history. Washington will have a new moniker and logo and many hope for a new franchise quarterback.
Whether that’s a big name veteran, free agent or rookie remains to be seen. One big name veteran quarterback who is a long shot for Washington to land is Deshaun Watson, currently of the Houston Texans.
Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Watson is not willing to waive his no-trade clause for Washington.
“Everything I’ve heard leading up to this point is that he would not waive it to come to [Washington],” Keim said on his podcast. “So that would shut that down completely.”
There’s a lot surrounding Watson. He requested a trade out of Houston. However, he sat out the 2021 season while facing a series of sexual assault allegations by 22 women in the Houston area.
The Texans reportedly are steadfast to land a hefty return for any potential trade of Watson. Watson’s legal issues and no-trade clause have made teams leery of seeking a trade. At the current moment, Watson has only been willing to waive his no-trade for the Miami Dolphins.
Washington is also facing criticism after allegations of sexual misconduct within the organization that prompted an NFL investigation into the franchise’s workplace culture. Trading for a quarterback with similar legal issues could bring another level of backlash.
Last season, Washington missed out on Matthew Stafford, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. This is despite Washington having a suitable trade offer. However, Stafford steered the trade away from Washington to the Rams due in large to his relationship with Rams head coach Sean McVay.
