Well, crap. The Bears offseason dream of undoing one of their biggest ever draft mistakes seems to be ending before it even truly got started.
Deshaun Watson may already be out the door in Houston, but he wants his plane ticket to read “Miami,” not “Chicago” when the final handshakes are done:
There is a growing sense from people in and around the Texans’ organization that Deshaun Watson has played his last snap for the team. It’s early in the off-season, there’s a lot of time left, but Watson’s feelings cannot and should not be underestimated.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2021
League sources believe that #Texans QB Deshaun Watson has played his last snap for the #Texans and the #Dolphins are his preferred destination, according to @AdamSchefter and @mortreport pic.twitter.com/9TQS9mWrVe
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 17, 2021
There’s been no shortage of reporting on Watson’s unhappiness with the way things have gone in Houston over the past couple years, so there’s no real surprise here on his (1) desire or (2) ability to get out of Houston. Indeed, that’s what we were counting on as the Bears same old front office prioritizes the quarterback position once again this offseason. The bigger (but worse for Chicago) news is that Watson wants to go to the Dolphins – a team that can surely put an enticing enough deal on the table, especially if they include Tua Tagovailoa plus some first rounders (including, potentially, a top pick this year).
(And it’s not just Miami)
This is what the Bears would be up against. Maybe the No. 2 overall pick. Maybe Tua. It’s gonna take a lot to get Watson. https://t.co/N70xp2LyQo
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) January 17, 2021
The Bears, you’ll recall, pick 20th.
No, trading for Deshaun Watson wouldn’t absolve the Bears of their past sins and would certainly cost a lot to get done. But this team is HUNGRY for a franchise quarterback. And at least trading for an established, prime-aged talent like Watson wouldn’t require too much buy-in or belief in Pace/Nagy. We know he’s a star. And we know the Bears need one. We’re not past the point of return, but if Houston is going to trade Watson, Miami sure seems to line up with them better than Chicago.
