A day after Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson sent a message to his employers by reportedly requesting a trade, Houston general manager Nick Caserio came back with a message of his own.
“Organizationally, we want to reiterate our commitment to Deshaun Watson,” Caserio said prior to fielding questions at a press conference on Friday. “We have zero interest in trading the player.”
Watson is on a four-year, $156-million deal that includes a no-trade clause, which means any potential trade will have to involve a suitor of his liking — and meet the demands of the Texans.
But Caserio, who was hired earlier this month, doesn’t appear interested in going that route, and made it publicly known that he is hoping to mend the relationship with the franchise cornerstone.
“We have a great plan and vision for (Watson),” Caserio said. “We look forward to spending more time with him.”
An added layer here is that Watson was reportedly “extremely unhappy” with Texans owner Cal McNair for not involving him in the process of hiring a GM.
The Texans also made their hiring of David Culley official on Friday, and the new head coach expressed his desire to keep Watson around, too:
Watson, 25, is a three-time reigning Pro Bowl selection. He led the NFL in total passing yards, yards per attempt and yards per completion in 2020. But the Texans floundered in the standings, finishing 4-12 and missing the playoffs.
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