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Now that his legal situation is cleared up, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson can now focus on his future in the NFL.
Watson has long been on the trading block, but the Texans were unable to move him before because of the sexual misconduct allegations thrown against him. NFL teams just didn't want to take a risk at him until the situation is resolved.
Fortunately for the Texans and Watson, a grand jury decided not to indict nine of the 10 criminal cases filed against the 26-year-old–with prosecutors not presenting the 10th case. According to reports, the grand jury found the evidence lacking to support the criminal charges.
With that cleared up, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network expects his “trade market to ramp up.” He emphasized that teams have been waiting for his legal situation to come to a conclusion, and now that it's clear, there is a path for him and the Texans to work on a trade.
It is important to note, though, that Watson has a no-trade clause. With that said, he'll have the final say on which team he wants to get traded to–and so his decision might take some time.
Deshaun Watson has a no-trade clause and he’ll want to talk to any interested teams willing to do a deal with the #Texans. Interest will come quickly, but Watson’s decision may take a few days. https://t.co/1GjtIqaDYx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2022
It remains to be seen where Deshaun Watson will end up, but he has already been garnering a lot of interest this offseason.
The Seattle Seahawks have been linked with Watson, especially after they traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The team reportedly has interest in exploring trade scenarios for the three-time Pro Bowler as they usher into a new era without Wilson.
Aside from the Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers were said to be ready to pounce on a trade with the Texans for Watson once his legal issues were over. Now that is the case, it'll be interesting to see what they'll offer to Houston to get them interested in a deal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are another team linked with Watson. After the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, they have become a team in need of a strong QB, and Watson certainly fits the bill. While those rumors have since been shot down, it'll be interesting to see if they'll make a move.
