Falcons Future QB Deshaun Watson? Carolina Panthers Out Of Texans Trade Sweepstakes

The Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints are the finalists for Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson

The Carolina Panthers were informed Thursday evening that they are no longer in the running for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. This leaves only the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints remaining to acquire the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback.

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Deshaun Watson

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson

Watson, 26, still is facing 22 civil counts of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. He did not play in 2021 but still remains one of the top passers in the league when active. In 2020, Watson led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards and an average of 8.9 yards per pass while tossing a franchise-record 33 touchdowns on the way to a 4-12 record.

Panthers' owner David Tepper has expressed his thoughts on being aggressive in acquiring a franchise quarterback since buying the team in 2018. Last season, Carolina traded its second- and fourth-round selections to the New York Jets in exchange for quarterback Sam Darnold.

Darnold, the former No. 3 pick in 2018, never found his footing in Matt Rhule's offense. In 10 games, he threw for 2,176 yards, seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 58.3 percent of his passes and owning a passer rating of 70.8.

Carolina also brought back former No. 1 pick and 2015 MVP Cam Newton following an injury to Darnold. In eight games, Newton threw for 684 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He rushed for 230 yards and recorded five rushing touchdowns.

"We need stability at the quarterback position, whether that is Sam or somebody else," Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Somebody needs to take hold of that position and own that. Right now, it's open. If Sam does it, that'd be great. But it's open."

Watson, who signed a four-year, $156 million extension midseason in 2020, still will need to waive his no-trade clause before any deal can be made. Other teams that were in play for Watson included the Cleveland Browns, and Seattle Seahawks.

Seattle, which traded away nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, never was viewed as favorite despite having three picks in the top 60 selections. The Browns were informed Thursday morning that they were out of the race as well.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio has wanted to act fast on the deal following a year-long conversation on the situation. The second-year executive from the get-go set the market price at "three first-round picks and a proven player" to begin any conversation.

"My philosophy from the beginning has always been to do the right thing by the Houston Texans organization, and we're going to continue to do that here moving forward," Caserio said at the combine.

Watson was set to take up $35 million against Houston's salary cap this coming season. His trade will save the Texans $24 million in 2022 cap space. Houston will take a hit in dead money at $51.2 million.

The trade would have marked somewhat of a homecoming for Watson. A native of Gainesville, Ga., he spent three seasons as Clemson's starting quarterback from 2014-16. Under Dabo Swinney's direction, Watson threw for 10,168 yards, 90 touchdowns and 32 interceptions while leading the Tigers to a national title victory over Alabama.

Watson also was a two-time Davey O'Brien winner, two-time Manning Award recipient and All-American. He also will reconnect with former Texans quarterback coach Sean Ryan, who currently serves the same role on the Panthers' staff.

Deshaun Watson

Troy Taormina-USA Today

Deshaun Watson

Kevin Jairaj-USA Today

Deshaun Watson

The Texans are expected to start second-year quarterback Davis Mills in 2022 in hopes he can be the franchise quarterback. Despite posting a 2-9 record, the former third-round pick showed growth in his second stint as the team's starter, throwing for 2,664 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while owning an 88.8 passer rating.

"I love his demeanor," Texans coach Lovie Smith said of Mills earlier this month. "He's a smart guy. He went to Stanford, right? Smart guy. Teammates buy in to him. And I also got a chance to see a lot of the young quarterbacks in the league play, and I thought Davis played about as as well as most of them."