NFL
Deshaun Watson’s Ominous Tweet Just Sent Chills Down the Spines of Texans Fans
Stephen Sheehan began his sportswriting career as a high school student covering sports for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel through a student outreach program. He wrote for Bleacher Report and Fan Rag Sports and worked full-time for Sportscasting in 2020 and 2021. Stephen specializes in covering the NFL, particularly the New England Patriots. Stephen is inspired by the stories sports can tell, from money to tragedies to breaking news; there are so many different ways to cover the industry. He monitors Twitter and various websites every day to find stories to tell in unique ways. Stephen was a 2008 Culpepper Journalism Foundation Fellowship winner, received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2013 and a master's in sports management in 2015 from the University of Florida, and is an active rugby player and former rugby and football coach.
Get to know Stephen Sheehan betterPublished15 Jan 2021
The Deshaun Watson situation took an ominous turn for Houston Texans fans on Friday. And all it took was a single tweet from the superstar quarterback to send chills down the spines of the loyal followers of the AFC South franchise.
Even if people try to explain away Watson’s message as simply a reference to a rap song, that’s nothing but a case of whistling past the graveyard. Because at this point, it’s clear that the Texans have inflicted enough damage to cause their franchise quarterback to essentially confirm what Adam Schefter reported earlier this week.
But will that force new general manager Nick Caserio to do the unthinkable? Or will Houston find a way to fix its fractured relationship with its most important player?
Deshaun Watson may join James Harden in getting out of Houston
RELATED: The Texans Have Forced Deshaun Watson to Discuss a Nightmare Scenario With His Teammates
The city of Houston suffered a tough blow earlier this week when the Rockets traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. And if things don’t turn around quickly, another beloved athlete could find himself playing for a new team, too.
By failing to take Deshaun Watson’s thoughts into consideration during their general manager search, the Texans created a major problem. Instead of vetting any of the candidates suggested by their franchise quarterback, they unsurprisingly hired another person who spent years working for Bill Belichick.
To make matters worse, Watson advocated for Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for the team’s head coach vacancy. Yet, the Texans didn’t even request an interview until a few days ago.
All of that has led to a tumultuous situation in Houston. Although the Texans already have the most important commodity in football, they may be forced to part with Watson, especially if he listens to Andre Johnson’s advice.
Texans fans should have chills down their spines from their star quarterback’s tweet
On Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Texans owner Cal McNair ignored the two finalists recommended by the search form Korn Ferry for the team’s general manager job. He ultimately wasted a significant amount of money (and people’s time) just to hire Nick Caserio anyways.
Schefter ended his report with a concerning update about how that decision impacted Deshaun Watson.
“One person who knows Watson said this week that, after the Texans traded Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last offseason, the quarterback’s anger level was “a 2. … This time, it’s a 10,” he wrote.
Fast forward to Friday and Watson all but confirmed that to be true in a single tweet.
“I was on a 2 then I took it to a 10,” he wrote on Twitter at 3:24 p.m.
Although that line does appear in the Future song Watson referenced in a follow-up tweet, does anyone really think the timing of his message is pure coincidence? After all, if he can’t get the Texans’ attention in face-to-face meetings, social media captures a much bigger audience than just Cal McNair and Jack Easterby.
For Texans fans, Watson’s tweet should send chills down their spines. Because at this point, the quarterback’s anger level seems through the roof. And if he indeed stands his ground, then Houston will have no choice but to find a new NFL home for the 25-year-old.
Will the unthinkable happen?
At this point, it’s fair to wonder how much longer the Texans and Deshaun Watson will remain together. With the way their relationship seems to be heading, a divorce seems more realistic by the day.
If Houston has to do the unthinkable and trade away the most valuable commodity in perhaps all of pro sports, it does have a logical partner to call up.
The Miami Dolphins hold plenty of draft capital to entice the Texans. Ironically, that mostly has to do with Bill O’Brien ridiculously overpaying for Laremy Tunsil. Plus, they can center a trade package around an even more valuable asset than a first-round pick: Tua Tagovailoa.
Although he showed flashes of star potential as a rookie, the southpaw signal-caller certainly hasn’t cemented his status as the guy in Miami. But if the Texans think highly of Tua, they can trade Watson for a haul that includes a young quarterback with star potential, plus multiple early-round draft picks to surround the former Alabama superstar with weapons and protection.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to find another NFL team that can offer anything close to that.
But if the Texans had treated Watson differently, this entire doomsday scenario wouldn’t even be in consideration.
Let’s see if he makes Houston pay for all the mistakes its made since he arrived in 2017.
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