"You guys know that wasn't from me" - Panthers HC Matt Rhule strikes down Deshaun Watson trade rumors for now

The Carolina Panthers raced out to a 3-0 start to the 2021 season. Since then, however, the wheels have fallen off the wagon and dropped their last four straight games.

The Panthers fell to a disappointing 25-3 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon. Veteran quarterback Sam Darnold struggled to find his footing as he completed 16-of-25 passes for 111 yards with an interception and a 57.3 passer rating.

Deshaun Watson trade rumors are swirling involving the Panthers

That led to backup P.J. Walker receiving playing time, where he didn’t perform any better against the Giants defense, completing 3-of-14 passes for 33 yards. The first seven weeks have been a tale of two tapes for Darnold. His play has fluctuated in the wrong direction, leading to recent trade rumors involving Deshaun Watson.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule addressed the situation, voicing that he did air that sentiment concerning the pursuit of a trade for Watson.

“You guys know that wasn’t from me,” Rhule remarked this week via Deshawn Brown of WSOC-TV.

The USC product put up three 300-yard performances in the first four games while posting a passer rating above 95 three times. However, the last three games have seen his play dip south as he’s notched fewer than 210 in each contest. He dropped below 200 yards twice and threw five total interceptions.

Beyond that, his play has led to prominent questions concerning his long-term future in Carolina. He has eight interceptions and seven touchdown passes while ranking 24th with a 41.7 passer rating.

Watson, however, remains sidelined as he works through his legal issues linked to the sexual assault lawsuit against him. He’s received an inactive destination in each of the first seven weeks.

The Panthers hadn’t been previously linked to Watson as the Miami Dolphins were circled as his preferred landing spot. The Dolphins initially brushed back at the chatter. Head coach Brian Flores stated that the team only wants “high character” players on the roster.

However, the Dolphins' struggles this season have pivoted the discussion toward possibly pursuing a trade for the star quarterback before the trade deadline. Through it all, Miami has remained firmly committed to second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as its starter. He’s had issues with injuries while his play has been inconsistent.

As the trade deadline inches closer, the chatter will only heat up, especially if the Panthers and Dolphins continue to struggle this season.