NFL trade deadline: Dolphins confirm stance on Deshaun Watson

After months of speculation and everything leaning toward a deal getting done, the Houston Texans will not be moving star quarterback Deshaun Watson ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Miami Dolphins put in the work to weigh the pros and cons of trading for Watson, but in the end, team owner Stephen Ross was not on board with making the blockbuster deal.

Deshaun Watson will remain with Texans as NFL trade deadline passes

The consensus over the past few weeks has been that Watson would be traded before the deadline, with the Dolphins being the team that would ultimately acquire him. But Watson's ongoing legal troubles appear to have been what prevented the Texans and Dolphins agreeing to terms on a blockbuster trade.

Although the NFL wouldn't have prevented Watson from playing with a new team had he been traded before Tuesday's deadline, the Dolphins weren't content with taking on the risk of the potential outcome of the superstar's legal problems.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, it all came down to an unresolved situation off the field. Watson, as a result, will remain in Houston moving forward and will have to wait until the upcoming NFL offseason to seek a new destination.

Could the door for Watson to become a Dolphin open at a later time?

So even though the Dolphins ultimately passed on the opportunity to bring in Watson, the door is likely not completely closed on a trade getting done between Houston and Miami in the offseason. It may simply remain a matter of time before Watson is sporting a Dolphins jersey, but a lot can happen between now and then.

One of the main reasons the Dolphins could change their stance on Watson is the progress Tua Tagovailoa could make moving forward. Head coach Brian Flores seems to be on the Alabama product's side as he continues to see potential for the young quarterback to be the face of the franchise in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Texans will continue to sit Watson for the rest of the 2021 campaign while Davis Mills leads the way for the struggling franchise at the quarterback position.

The Texans are currently in last place in the AFC South division with a record of 1-7. Although Mills has shown signs of promise, Houston continues to struggle and is at the beginning of an extensive rebuilding process, which could take years for the team to get back on track as a playoff contender.

---