Yardbarker
x
Deshaun Watson's uncertain future hindering trade talks
Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Watson's uncertain future hindering trade talks

It appears that beleaguered Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson isn't going to get his dream trade just yet.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported Wednesday morning that the Dolphins and Texans have agreed on compensation for moving Watson -- but Miami wants all of his legal issues to be resolved before a trade can be put into place. 

Miami owner Stephen Ross also said he wants to know whether the NFL will suspend Watson under the league's personal conduct policy before putting any kind of a trade in motion.

Long story short: Unless all 22 lawsuits are resolved by the trade deadline next Tuesday and the NFL doesn't seek punishment, Watson's dream trade of going to the Dolphins is not likely to happen.

Now, as far as a potential suspension goes, the NFL reportedly doesn't "have enough information" yet to convince Robert Goodell to put Watson on the exempt list. 

"Obviously, the police have been investigating, and we don't have access to all of that information at this point in time," Goodell said Tuesday at the league owners meetings, via ESPN. "We pride ourselves on not interfering in that and in being as cooperative as we can in order to get all the facts. I think that process is still ongoing."

At first listen, that sounds like Watson would be able to take the field the second he gets traded. Plus, as Sports Illustrated recently pointed out, 10 of the 11 plaintiffs suing Watson have already spoken to the NFL, so it isn't as if the league is completely in the dark about the ongoing investigation.

However, ESPN revealed other interested teams outside of the Dolphins are also hesitant to put a trade in motion until the league decides Watson's fate. So, even if Goodell doesn't make a final call on punishing Watson just yet, teams could walk away anyways because of the uncertainty of his fate.

Another hold up in getting a trade deal done is Watson himself. The Houston Chronicle reported Watson has no plan of settling the lawsuits because he views that as an admission of guilt. So while his camp may be grinding to get a trade deal done, Watson's legal issues remain an ever-present sticking point.

It all boils down to a big trade for Watson not being a done deal just yet. He may have wanted to be traded for almost a year now, but his uncertain future could potentially keep a trade from happening by next week's deadline.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.