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Last year, the Panthers wanted Deshaun Watson. But Deshaun Watson didn’t want the Panthers.
This year, the Panthers once again want Deshaun Watson.
Via David Newton of ESPN.com, the Panthers plan to make an “aggressive” offer for the former Clemson quarterback, if he’ll waive his no-trade clause for the Panthers.
As the trade deadline approached, the Panthers would have traded for Watson despite then-unresolved criminal complaints and still-pending civil lawsuits. Watson declined to waive his no-trade clause, opting to focus on being traded to the Dolphins.
It’s unclear what it will take to get Watson. On one hand, if multiple teams come to the table, the price goes up. On the other hand, if Watson ultimately focuses on one team, the Texans have to choose between getting what they can and keeping Watson, who didn’t play at all in 2021, at a guaranteed salary of $35 million. (He also has a 2023 roster bonus of $17 million. The bonus becomes fully guaranteed later this month.)
Newton reports that the Panthers are willing to part with any player on the roster other than safety Jeremy Chinn. Surely, however, the Panthers — who under owner David Tepper have been obsessed with getting a franchise quarterback — would not kill the deal over Chinn.
Before any of that becomes relevant, Watson has to be willing to play for the Panthers. If he isn’t, nothing else matters.
So will he be? With coach Matt Rhule widely believed to be on the hot seat, and with failed former Giants coach Ben McAdoo serving as the new offensive coordinator, Watson may not be thrilled about the possibility of joining a team that may have a new head coach by 2023.
