Despite the organization’s insistence that he will remain with the team for the future, it is no secret that Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson wants to be traded. It's Deshaun Watson timeline season, nonetheless.
But the relationship between Watson and the Texans wasn’t always like this, and a report from The Athletic chronicles several incidents that caused the quarterback to lose his trust in the franchise.
Deshaun Watson Timeline
In the report, it was the Texans’ decision to trade talented wide receiver Deandre Hopkins last offseason that caused the first crack in the relationship between Watson and his team, as the 25-year old found out about the trade on social media. After Watson signed a four-year, $177.5 million extension with Houston, he was reportedly informed that he would be more involved with the Texans’ team-building process, a promise which was not met.
Article Continues BelowThe losses to start the 2020 season and the hasty firing of head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien further damaged Watson’s trust with the team and their plan. Texans VP of football operations Jack Easterby became more influential following O’Brien’s departure, and his approach with managing the team reportedly didn’t sit well with the three-time Pro Bowler.
After the season that saw the team finish with a 4-12 record, the team further alienated their signal-caller after he was not involved in the process of hiring new general manager Nick Caserio, a hire which he also learned about on social media. His recommendations for a new head coach, which included Eric Bieniemy and Robert Saleh, were also ignored, further creating a rift between him and the organization.
It is certainly unfortunate that the relationship between Watson and the management soured to the point that he wanted to be traded, as some of the incidents mentioned could have been avoided by proper communication. Now, it remains to be seen if the front office will blink and grant his desire to play for a different team.