Report: Panthers expected to make 'aggressive' push for Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson’s legal situation has been resolved, and now his trade market is reportedly heating up. The Carolina Panthers are expected to be involved in an “aggressive” pursuit of Watson, according to ESPN’s David Newton.

“The Carolina Panthers will make an “aggressive” offer for Deshaun Watson as soon as the Houston quarterback waives his no-trade clause for them to negotiate with the Texans, a league source told ESPN,” Newton said.

“An issue with having the clause waived is not anticipated, the source said.”

The Panthers have been viewed as a possible landing spot for Watson throughout the offseason. Watson, who has thrown for 14,539 yards, 104 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions in his four-year NFL career, would be a clear upgrade in Carolina’s quarterback room. The former Clemson Tigers quarterback is a three-time Pro Bowler.

This past season, the Panthers saw extremely underwhelming results from quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Cam Newton and P.J. Walker. While the price tag on Watson is unknown, the deal would not be cheap. But for a team that is desperate for an answer at quarterback, the Panthers might be willing to meet any asking price. Even with Watson’s situation just recently being resolved, Newton believes that the Panthers are comfortable with his situation.

“As first reported by Pro Football Network, a source confirmed that no team is believed to have done more due diligence investigating the claims against Watson than Carolina,” David Newton said. “That’s why the team is comfortable moving forward.”

The Panthers aren’t the only team pursuing Watson

Earlier on Saturday, NFL reporter Dov Kleiman said that the expectation is currently that Watson will land with the Seattle Seahawks, not the Panthers. The Seahawks have a sudden influx of draft capital after the Russell Wilson trade, so Seattle could have enough ammo to pull it off.

“There is ‘expectation around the league’ #Texans QB Deshaun Watson will be traded to the #Seahawks, per @MoveTheSticks,” tweeted Kleiman. “They have extra picks now after the Russell Wilson trade to get it done.”

In addition to the Panthers and Seahawks, the Steelers have been linked to Watson as well.

Watson led the NFL in passing yards in 2020, his last active season in the league. Now, Watson is able to begin his journey on returning to that level of play when he returns to the field next season.

“After a Harris County grand jury was presented all the evidence and had the opportunity to hear from all witnesses, grand jurors declined to indict Deshaun Watson,” a statement from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office read. “Grand jury proceedings are secret by law, so no information related to their inquiry may be disclosed.”