Getty The Steelers are not interested in making a trade for Deshaun Watson, says one report.
It would appear the Pittsburgh Steelers are not interested in making a trade for one of the more notable quarterbacks in the NFL.
According to a report from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday, March 9, the Steelers are not interested in acquiring Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
“Steelers ARE NOT interested in signing DeShaun Watson, despite what you might be hearing or reading, per team sources,” says Dulac.
Why Steelers May Not Trade for Watson
Although Watson did not play the entire 2021 season and is in the midst of legal issues pertaining to civil lawsuits from 22 different women, the 26-year-old quarterback remains a hot name in trade rumors.
With the quarterback market even smaller now following the trades of Russell Wilson and Carson Wentz, Watson’s name has become more popular in recent days. For example, the Carolina Panthers continue to be interested in Watson despite the fact that the young quarterback used his no-trade clause to veto a possible trade during the 2021 season.
While the Steelers clearly need a new franchise quarterback following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, it appears the team is content to head into free agency with Mason Rudolph as the penciled-in starter. The Steelers will likely target a veteran quarterback — maybe a Gardner Minshew-type of quarterback — and select a QB with the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
This may not be the ideal way to transition into a new era following the retirement of one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. But it appears Pittsburgh either is not willing to give up major assets, or deal with the potential headache that is attached with Watson’s legal issues.
As Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported back in January, the Texans still have yet to budge on their asking price for Watson. The Texans still expect three first-round draft picks and five assets total in exchange for Watson.
Secondly, there are major question marks for Watson’s availability in the immediate future. As Mike Florio of NBC Sports notes, Watson could miss the first several weeks of the 2022 season even without criminal charges.
“If the grand jury does not indict Watson on felony charges, he could be traded when the new league year begins next week. So which teams would be interested?
As we previously explained, he could be looking at a suspension even without criminal charges, under the Ben Roethlisberger precedent,” explains Florio. “Thus, whoever gets Watson may not get him for several weeks of the regular season.”
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King: Watson’s ‘Desired Destination’ is Steelers
While Dulac is reporting that the Steelers are not interested in Watson, former NFL QB Shaun King is saying otherwise.
The VSiNLive anchor explains that if Watson’s legal issues are sorted out — a grand jury is convening on Friday, March 11, relating to Watson’s criminal charges — that the Steelers will move forward with a trade for Watson. Furthermore, King notes that the Steelers are a preferred destination for Watson.
“The bat phone and the bat email, I woke up this morning, and had messages on both that the interest is mutual,” explains King. “And that Deshaun Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract but Pittsburgh is his desired destination, if he can find clarity with his legal situation.”
“Again, this starts with Friday and hopefully things go well and we find some clarity,” King continues. “And I was told that soon thereafter there cold be an announcement that Deshaun Watson will be the next quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
We’ll see in the coming days whether or not the Steelers are actually interested in pursuing Watson. But if Watson’s does become cleared of criminal charges, you can expect to see a lot more activity for the three-time Pro Bowl QB.