Getty Pete Carroll coaches during the playoffs.
It did not take long after the Russell Wilson trade for the Seattle Seahawks to be linked to other star quarterbacks. NFL Network’s Jim Trotter believes the Seahawks are now a team to watch in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes.
“Look, I’ve heard people ask whether or not Deshaun is radioactive, and my point is no he is not and particularly with a team like Seattle,” Trotter detailed during a March 8 edition of “NFL Now.” “Go back to 2017 with Colin Kaepernick and when he was a free agent, and the NFL was basically, everyone was shunning Colin Kaepernick.
The Seahawks were the one known team that brought Colin Kaepernick in for an interview at that time and was willing to sign him if they had heard what they wanted to hear from him. And it was not about whether or not he would kneel, it was more from a football standout.
“So, from my standpoint if there is one team out there that would be willing to deal with the ‘PR fallout’ that could come from trading for Deshaun Watson it would be the Seattle Seahawks.”
Watson is just beginning his four-year, $156 million contract, an extension he signed with the Texans in 2020. The quarterback is slated to have a $35 million salary this upcoming season on a deal that runs through 2025, per Spotrac.
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Watson Could Face a Lengthy NFL Suspension Pending the 22 Civil Suits
The challenge with a trade for Watson is the Seahawks would be giving up significant assets for a player facing an uncertain future both legally and with the NFL. Watson is dealing with 22 civil suits from woman claiming sexual misconduct, and the quarterback has denied any wrongdoing thus far. Depending on the outcome of the cases, the NFL could also levy a hefty suspension on the playmaker.
Watson sat out all of the 2021 season after requesting a trade from the Texans. The quarterback posted career high numbers in nearly every major statistical category in 2020. Watson threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 70.2 percent of his passes in 2020. The star quarterback also added 444 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Texans Have a ‘Very, Very Good Market’ for a Watson Trade: Report
The Seahawks acquired five draft picks, including two first-rounders and two second-round selections, from the Broncos that they can now dangle in another potential blockbuster deal for Watson. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport admitted it is unclear if the Seahawks will make a run at Watson but added that the Texans have a “very, very good market” with several interested teams.
“I do not know for sure right now if Seattle would be in the mix for Deshaun Watson,” Rapoport explained on “NFL Now.” “I cannot say definitively, it’s so complicated. There’s so much that needs to play out. I do not know right now if that is the case.
“What I do know about Deshaun Watson, is you remember he had a big market last year even though all the legal things were hanging over him. In the end, the Miami Dolphins went right up to the line and declined to follow through on a trade. He has a similarly big market now. There is some very real interest in Deshaun Watson. …The Houston Texans are going to have a very, very good market, and I would expect Deshaun Watson’s situation to heat up quickly.”
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Seahawks Could Make Trade for $156 Million Star QB, Says Insider