Nobody knows when Deshaun Watson will be seen on an NFL field again but one thing does appear certain. When that time does come, it likely won’t be as a Houston Texan.
The Texans used their third round pick in the NFL Draft last weekend on quarterback Davis Mills. The former Stanford Cardinal being selected with Houston’s first pick in all likelihood is a good indication that the team knows Watson has played his last down in Houston.
We are talking about a team with glaring needs across the entire roster and yet they still chose to go with a quarterback with their first pick. ESPN’s Adam Schefter went as far to say it is beginning to sound like Watson could, in fact, sit out the entire 2021 season.
“The Texans used their first pick in the draft on a quarterback, the 67th overall selection,” Schefter said. “They could say it’s the best player on the board, or whatever they want, but the fact of the matter is, there are people in league circles who believe Deshaun Watson will not play this season. There are some people who believe his career in Houston is over, and the Texans know they face a tremendous amount of quarterback uncertainty, which is why they used the third-round pick on Davis Mills.”
Mills’ former head coach at Stanford David Shaw thinks his former player is ready to start at the NFL level right now.
“He’s healthy and he feels great,” said Shaw in a radio interview following the draft. “And if Deshaun Watson isn’t there, for whatever reason, I’m not sure he is going to be sitting on the sidelines. He might be the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans, as opposed to being a college starting quarterback. So, in that way, it would have worked out. But do I think he’s ready, do I think he’s capable? The answer to both of those is yes.”
Watson’s immediate future is up in the air due to the fact that he’s facing 22 civil lawsuits accusing the quarterback of sexual misconduct. Other quarterbacks on the roster include Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Finley, and if Watson isn’t in the mix, expect an open competition come training camp.
