For a better part of the past calendar year, there’s been widespread rumors linking the Miami Dolphins to a trade for embattled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The two sides were reportedly close to pulling off a blockbuster before November’s NFL trade deadline before Dolphins owner Stephen Ross stepped in.
After weeks of drama in South Beach involving Ross and recently-fired former head coach Brian Flores, it’s now clear that Miami has no interest in acquiring Watson.
General manager Chris Grier spoke to the media from the site of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, pretty much ending any hope that Watson could be headed to Miami in the process.
“The door is shut on Deshaun Watson,” Grier told reporters before talking about how they believe firmly in young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s development as he enters his third season.
It’s not necessarily a surprise that the Dolphins have no interest in acquiring Watson. Outside of the legal issues that are consuming the three-time Pro Bowler, there was major drama between the aforementioned Flores and Miami’s front office regarding the quarterback.
Reportedly, Flores was not a believer in Tagovailoa as a potential franchise quarterback and wanted to acquire Watson. On the other hand, Ross and Grier pushed back against pulling off a trade for Houston’s quarterback.
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As Miami Dolphins close the door on Deshaun Watson, what’s next?
New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has stated multiple times since his hiring that he’s high on Tua as the Fins’ starting quarterback moving forward. It had to be part of the interview process that led to the former San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator heading to Miami.
Whether Tua is the answer remains to be seen. He’s been nothing more than a pedestrian starting quarterback since Miami selected the former Alabama star No. 5 overall back in 2020.
- Tua Tagovailoa career stats: 66% completion, 4,467 yards, 27 TD, 15 INT, 88.8 rating (21 starts)
Despite this, Miami does boast a 13-8 record in Tua’s 21 career starts. That winning track record has to be seen as appealing to an organization that has earned all of two playoff appearances over the past two decades.
Miami has the financial resources to add more talent to a roster that’s coming off consecutive winning seasons for the first time since early in the millennium. That’s another backdrop here.
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As for Deshaun Watson, there’s been no decision from authorities as it relates to potential criminal charges stemming from sexual misconduct allegations from north of 20 women. Said decision is expected to come early next month.
After sitting out the entire 2021 season, this complicates everything for Mr. Watson. While some teams are open to trade for him with his civil cases still outstanding, interested parties want the criminal aspect of his off-field situation settled before delving further into trade talks.