Report: Vikings Have Made an Inquiry About Trading for Texans QB Deshaun Watson

Watson wasn't charged criminally on Friday, opening up the possibility of a trade.

The trade market for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to heat up this week after the three-time Pro Bowler was not indicted on any criminal charges on Friday. According to a report from Pro Football Network insider and former Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson, the Vikings are one of the teams that has inquired about the star QB since then.

Watson's NFL future was thrown into question last spring when 22 women filed lawsuits against him accusing him of sexual assault and harassment during massage appointments. Ten criminal complaints were filed against Watson, nine of which were presented to a grand jury on Friday. All nine were rejected. Watson invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the deposition.

That doesn't mean his legal issues are suddenly over. Watson is still facing civil lawsuits, which will go to trial at some point. The NFL is continuing its own investigation, which could potentially land Watson on the commissioner's exempt list. But Friday's news was a big step towards a potential Watson trade, as teams didn't want to risk acquiring him while his criminal cases were ongoing.

"The Minnesota Vikings have expressed interest in Watson despite the presence of quarterback Kirk Cousins, according to sources," wrote Wilson. "Cousins, who has the largest salary cap figure in the NFL, is potentially available via a trade for the right price. The Vikings appear to be an attractive potential destination for Watson given the presence of wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and running back Dalvin Cook."

The five other teams reportedly interested in Watson are the Seahawks, Panthers, Browns, Buccaneers, and Saints. Among that group, the Seahawks and Panthers might be in the best position to trade for Watson because they have plenty of cap space. However, Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning he'd have to approve a move to any particular team.

The Vikings would obviously have to move Cousins in order to bring in Watson. With Matt Ryan's contract being restructured and Aaron Rodgers signing a new deal with the Packers, Cousins' $45 million cap hit is the highest in the NFL in 2022. He would have to either be included in a trade with the Texans or moved elsewhere beforehand. New Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell have said that they expect Cousins to be their quarterback this season, but all options remain on the table with the polarizing QB entering the final year of his deal.

Despite Watson not being indicted on Friday, any team acquiring him via trade would still be making a controversial move by doing so. Many sexual assault cases don't have enough evidence to reach a conviction, but that doesn't mean the accuser(s) were lying. That's especially worth noting in a situation where 22 different women have accused Watson of sexual assault or harassment. Beyond the ongoing civil cases and the potential for NFL discipline, this is a story that isn't going away anytime soon and could be a distraction from the on-field goals of the team acquiring him. It would also be a tough sell from a P.R. standpoint, particularly to a team's female fans.

But because Watson is so talented and plays the most important position in football, some team is almost certainly going to deal with that and make the move to acquire him. As we've seen many times in the NFL, teams are willing to look the other way from a moral perspective if they believe a player can help them win games.

Prior to Watson's legal issues, he requested a trade from the Texans following the 2020 season due to disagreements with the front office and coaching staff. It's unclear how much Houston will be able to get back in return for the 2017 first-round pick.

Watson, a former star at Clemson University, made the Pro Bowl in three straight seasons from 2018-20. In 2020, he threw for a career high 4,823 yards with 33 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. He didn't play at all in 2021 due to his legal situation, despite being on the Texans' active roster all season. Watson is under contract for four more seasons thanks to a four-year, $177.5 million extension he signed in September 2020.

The Vikings make sense as a theoretically desirable destination for Watson because of the presence of Jefferson, Cook, Thielen, and other talented pieces on offense. They've got questions on the interior offensive line and on defense, but the cupboard isn't bare from a general talent perspective.

Would the Wilfs, who own the Vikings, sign off on a move to acquire Watson? He would undoubtedly make the team better, but he would come with plenty of questions and controversy. The Vikings just cut former first-round pick Jeff Gladney last offseason due to domestic violence allegations — and Gladney was found not guilty last week.

We'll see what happens. At minimum, it's very notable that the Vikings are one of six teams who have reportedly reached out to the Texans and expressed interest in Watson.

This upcoming week will likely be a busy one for Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings, who need to clear cap space ahead of the start of the new league year. The free agency legal tampering period opens on Monday.

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