The 25-year old quarterback for the Houston Texans is currently embroiled in a legal battle with an investor who claims he was misled about the value of Watson’s shares. There are still no updates on whether or not any formal charges will be filed against him, but his future remains uncertain until then.
The “Deshaun Watson has reportedly not been traded to the Miami Dolphins yet because of the uncertainty surrounding his legal issues.” is a rumor that has been circulating for some time now. So far, it seems as though the Texans are still holding onto their prized quarterback. Read more in detail here: will deshaun watson play.
The Houston Texans still have Deshaun Watson on their roster. Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 4:00 p.m. ET is the NFL trade deadline. Watson no longer wants to be a part of the Houston club, and the Texans want to move him. The Miami Dolphins are allegedly interested in dealing for him, allowing them to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, their second-year quarterback. 22 women have filed legal claims against Watson alleging sexual assault and misconduct, further complicating the situation.
The following assertions are all facts in this narrative, and they’re about the only ones that can be tied down at this moment concerning the maelstrom of trade rumors that have surrounded Watson this season.
Everything else, including a rumored near-done agreement with the Dolphins, has seemed to be up in the air.
Important information, such as whether the NFL would discipline Watson for the charges made off the field, remain unclear. There’s also the possibility of legal ramifications if the claims turn into charges.
Watson has turned into a significant danger off the field, while being a fantastic quarterback on the game. There’s a reason why the Dolphins, or any other club for that matter, haven’t done so yet.
The latest: In a prospective deal, the Miami Dolphins have allegedly agreed to financial terms for Deshaun Watson.
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson #4 during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Don Juan Moore /Photo by Getty Images
Watson’s major destination in most speculations since the start of the season has been Miami. The whispers have been so strong in southern Florida that Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has had to publicly defend his current starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, many times. Tua has heard the stories as well, despite his best efforts to ignore them.
The rumor that the Dolphins and Texans were close to completing a deal overshadowed Miami’s 30-28 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7. According to the Houston Chronicle, a deal had come so close that Miami had actually worked out the financials for a Watson trade, and owner Stephen Ross had given his approval.
The proverbial fly in the ointment for Miami is that Ross demands that Watson’s legal concerns be cleared before a deal is finalized. More context was supplied by CBS Sports:
The move has been agreed by Miami owner Stephen Ross, but he wants Watson’s legal troubles rectified before it is carried out. Watson settling his 22 legal lawsuits would be the only feasible option for that to happen by the Nov. 2 trade deadline. Watson, according to McClain, refuses to settle because he feels it would be an admission of guilt.
If legal difficulties are Ross’ main stumbling block, as they should be, Watson is unlikely to settle all 22 civil claims in less than a week. It seems particularly improbable if the quarterback feels that by doing so, he would be admitting culpability.
Watson will not be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list just yet, according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
During a news conference ahead to Super Bowl LIV, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talks to the media | Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
The NFL might impose a penalty on Watson that is independent from any civil or legal difficulties, which is something Miami, or any other interested team, will have to deal with. The league is a private organization with its own code of conduct, and it has previously penalized players for off-field concerns that did not result in a felony but did violate the code.
The concern for a possible trade partner is whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would penalize Watson regardless of any off-field issues. With Watson’s legal troubles still ongoing, the most immediate thing the NFL could do is place him on the commissioner’s exempt list while it compiles and waits for further information.
NFL players who have been charged with violent crimes, sexual assault, or any other credible violation of the league’s personal conduct code are eligible for this classification, which is a paid leave.
When asked whether the NFL will put Watson on the exempt list during the league owners’ meetings on Tuesday, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league doesn’t have enough information at this time.
According to ESPN, Goodell added, “Obviously, the police have been investigating, and we don’t have access to all of that material at this point in time.” “We take pleasure in not meddling and being as helpful as possible in order to get all of the information. That process, I believe, is still occurring.”
The fact that Watson is eligible to play is lost in the fact that he hasn’t played this season. He does show up to the team facilities, but he has been designated as inactive for the last seven games by Houston.
The bottom line is that nothing has changed in terms of a Watson trade… yet.
The Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson #4 takes a breather on the field during the fourth quarter of their game against the Tennessee Titans | Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Despite all of the twists and turns of the previous week, the Watson trade rumors have us right back where we began. He’s still a member of the Texans. The NFL trade deadline is coming rapidly. The Dolphins are reportedly interested in making a trade, but Watson’s legal concerns make such a deal very risky for Miami or any other interested party.
The reality that Watson, according to Goodell, could play this weekend if he wanted to and his club wanted him to gets lost in the mix. He is now free to play NFL football, but the off-field uncertainty is so enormous that he is a high-risk trade target. And that’s not even taking into account his ability as a quarterback.
A trading partner’s calculation is complicated. Even if the NFL doesn’t have enough evidence to punish Watson, such evidence may emerge at any moment, even after a trade. A team like Miami could cut all relations with Tagovailoa, its 2020 first-round selection, only for fresh evidence to emerge in the Watson case, prompting the NFL to punish him. Furthermore, if the charges are shown to be genuine, the legal difficulties would have significant real-world consequences.
Trading for Watson entails a significant risk. There are a number of reasons why that hasn’t occurred yet, and they aren’t going away before the trade deadline.
RELATED: Tua Tagovailoa’s Inability to Ignore Deshaun Watson Rumors Is a Major Indictment of the Miami Dolphins’ Front Office
The “deshaun watson released” is a recent breaking news story that has created headlines. The Miami Dolphins had reportedly agreed to trade for the Houston Texans quarterback, but they have not been able to do so yet because of the uncertainty surrounding his legal issues.
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