NFL Trade Rumors: 3 Teams that should trade for Deshaun Watson after Texans "soften" stance

Since the end of the 2020 NFL season, star quarterback Deshaun Watson has remained firm in his desire to be traded from the Houston Texans.

The Texans countered by ignoring trade chatter, while Watson’s concerning legal issues have further clouded the situation. The franchise kept him away from the team throughout the preseason and training camp and sat him out of the first three weeks of the 2021 season.

However, the Texans appear to have changed their tune a bit on trade talk. On Sunday morning, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that their “stance started to soften” regarding their desired trade package.

Houston has been progressively willing to trade the Pro Bowler, but the steep asking price has kept trade chatter unfeasible. With the Texans lowering their standards, it may open the door to significant discussions around the league.

Here are three teams that should jump into the mix to land the star quarterback:

Teams that could trade for Deshaun Watson

#1 - Miami Dolphins

Throughout the latter portion of the offseason, Watson was prominently linked to the Dolphins.

The 26-year-old reportedly holds some significant interest in playing for Miami. However, the franchise has publicly pushed back at the dialog as head coach Brian Flores has repeatedly aired his commitment to second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa while stating the team only wants high-character players.

The latter comment seemingly indirectly targeted Watson for being involved with 23 sexual misconduct civil lawsuit cases. However, the franchise holds the need to find a cornerstone under center.

The jury is still out on whether Tagovailoa can fit that bill, but Watson has already proven he can. Miami likely won’t budge toward pursuing the Pro Bowler until his legal issues are resolved, but the team certainly holds a need under center.

#2 - Pittsburgh Steelers

As Ben Roethlisberger treks through his 18th season, it’s becoming more crystal clear the team needs a long-term plan under center.

The future beyond Roethlisberger remains muddy as the only other potentially feasible option is Dwayne Haskins, who quickly flamed out with the Washington Football Team. Mason Rudolph has already showcased that he isn’t the long-term answer.

If the Steelers were to trade for Watson now, there would be no urgency to start him as he’s still dealing with his legal issues. It would be a play for the long-term as he’s under contract through the 2025 season.

Pittsburgh already possesses a stout defense. Adding a quarterback like Watson could prove to be a franchise-changing move.

#3 - Indianapolis Colts

Although it's still early days for the Colts with Carson Wentz under center, it’s been a brief, bumpy experience.

Wentz has struggled to move past nagging injuries while the team has quickly fallen into a rough 0-2 start. The Colts will likely want to see how things pan out first with the former Pro Bowler, but if this trend persists, it’s hard not to see the Colts at least inquire about Watson.

He’s a bonafide franchise cornerstone that could transform Indianapolis into a Super Bowl contender.