NFL insider on Deshaun Watson trade rumors, Panthers QB situation

It continues to look more and more likely that the Houston Texans trade quarterback Deshaun Watson before the Nov. 2 trade deadline. Watson remains on the Texans roster, but he is not active and is not playing right now. He has multiple sexual assault allegations out against him and his feud with the Texans front office has been made well known.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Carolina Panthers have emerged as a serious option in a potential Watson trade. The Panthers started the season 3-0 but have now lost four in a row. Quarterback Sam Darnold has struggled in recent weeks, and he was even benched on Sunday. Against the Giants on Sunday, Darnold was 16-of-25 for 111 yards and an interception.

On the season, Darnold has thrown for 1,684 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions with five rushing touchdowns. He has thrown seven interceptions over the last four weeks. Darnold’s struggles have only intensified Carolina’s reported interest in a Watson trade. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that things have “changed” for Carolina after Sunday’s loss.

“With Carolina, things have changed after that ugly loss to the New York Giants,” Fowler said. “I’ve talked to multiple sources who acknowledged that things could heat up for Watson largely because (Carolina) needs a franchise quarterback. And now, the feeling is they might not have one. Carolina was heavily involved in the Watson sweepstakes back in February, March before the sexual assault allegations. I was told they were willing to outbid just about anybody at that time. That’s important to keep in mind.”

Miami is also reportedly interested in a Watson trade

The Panthers are not alone in the Watson trade market. The Miami Dolphins have been the reported frontrunner acquire Watson for many weeks. With Carolina now in the mix, the Dolphins could actually become even more of a player in negotiations.

“Miami, their talks could intensify because the feeling around the league is that they didn’t want to bid against themselves,” Fowler said. “But now, if Carolina or other teams are involved, they might not have to. Sitting at 1-6 though, it’s unclear how far they want to go to the finish line here. But I was told directly from a source that Deshaun Watson is willing to consider multiple options here.

“It is not Miami or bust as has been the perception league wide. Multiple teams are going to be interested and he is going to take all of that into account.”

NFL insider Ian Rapoport expects Watson to be eligible to play if he is indeed traded.

“I have not heard that he is going to be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list,” Rapoport said. “Even if someone trades for him, even if his legal situation is unsettled, barring some sort of unexpected development, I would expect him to be eligible to play.”