The Houston Texans placed the future of their franchise on superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson when they signed him to a massive $160 million, four-year extension in September of last year. But recent developments may lead to the three-time Pro Bowler eventually demanding a trade away from the Texans.

This report comes via Mike Florio of NBC Sports:

Rumors already are circulating, and we’ve already heard them from multiple different people, that Watson has quietly broached with teammates the possibility of requesting a trade. If that’s happening, it may just be a strategic effort to ensure his views are respected by ownership.

It is worth noting that Houston is currently in search of a new head coach. The front office has already intimated that Deshaun Watson's opinion on the same will weigh heavily in their decision, so as the report above implies, this might be a bit of a power move by the 25-year-old star.

What if it's not, though?

The report continues to say that there should be some substantial development in this matter within the next few days/weeks:

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As the Texans decide on their next coach (and it presumably will be someone represented by Bob LaMonte, for reasons to be addressed later today), keep an eye on the possibility that Watson will respond by making it known privately, and possibly publicly, that he’s ready to move on and move out.

Needless to say, this is going to be a crucial offseason for the Texans. How they decide to operate could ultimately have a significant impact on the direction this franchise ends up taking for the foreseeable future.