A popular sports host for FOX offered up a bold Deshaun Watson trade idea this week that teams like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders might seriously consider.
Just a few years ago, former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson was one of the bright young stars in the game. After the 2020 season, he was a three-time Pro Bowler and had brought the franchise back to relevancy. However, his fall from grace on and off the field has been shocking.
Related: Where do the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders land in our latest NFL offense rankings?
In 2021, a horrifying sexual assault scandal forever changed the narrative on Watson. And cost him a year and a half of his career. Unfortunately for him, after being traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2022 he has not been able to rebuild a favorable reputation on the gridiron.
His tenure in Cleveland has been a story of from bad to worse. And 2024 has set a new low point as he looks like a shell of the star people remember in Houston. It has kicked open the door to discussion about being benched and potentially traded. However, the QB’s fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract makes him virtually untradeable.
Yet, earlier this week popular FS1 personality Nick Wright offered up a wild Deshaun Watson trade idea that might be the only way Cleveland can move him. And is an idea teams like the Giants or Raiders might consider.
- Deshaun Watson contract: Five years, $230 million fully guaranteed
FS1’s Nick Wright suggests Cleveland Browns add No. 1 pick to Deshaun Watson trade
“Cleveland’s escape hatch is finding a team with a lot of cap space and trading Deshaun along with their own first-round pick just so that team can then cut him,” Wright said during a recent edition of his “What’s Wright Show” podcast.
Wright suggested the Carolina Panthers might make sense since they have available cap space. However, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are franchises that have been searching for a new QB since the offseason. Both tried to move up in the NFL Draft to land one of this year’s top prospects. But failed in those pursuits.
If either franchise felt they could fix Watson they might consider the deal. The pair of franchises could potentially package it and their own first if they wanted to move up for the best prospect in this year’s class. Or they could stay at four and have Watson serve as a short-term placeholder and mentor for a rookie QB, and a potential upgrade over their current QBs if they can get him back to his previous form.
For the Browns, they are in a terrible position. But they need to start fresh and a Watson trade or release seems inevitable. They could potentially get Daniel Jones or Gardner Minshew. Let them be their starter in 2025, and then start fresh in 2026.
Related: Where does Deshaun Watson land in our Week 6 NFL QB rankings?