Deshaun Watson should do what is best for him.
Right now, NFL fans feel one of two ways about Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson – either you support his right to demand a trade or you think that he should fulfill the obligations of the contract he signed less than a year ago.
For the most part, Clemson football fans that have loved and followed Deshaun for almost a decade agree that he should get the hell out of Houston.
We all understand why Texans fans don’t want him to go, it is the same reasons that Clemson fans didn’t want him to go – he is an elite talent on the field but there isn’t a better person away from the field. Deshaun is a winner and that desire to win has allowed him to come to the realization that the Texans have no interest in doing the same.
Matter of fact, if you want to be mad, be mad at his agent David Mulugheta.
Clemson fans have been screaming for three years to get Deshaun out of Houston. He has taken an absolutely brutal beating behind the worst offensive line in football and moves that former head coach and general manager Bill O’Brien made weren’t going to change that.
This was before the debacle of trading Deandre Hopkins for a measly second-round pick.
Instead of advising Deshaun to go through the process of the Texans picking up his fifth-year option and then potentially being franchise-tagged a time or two before being able to move on, he negotiated and advised Deshaun to sign an extension with a team that never had Deshaun’s best interest in mind.
Mulugheta is paid to do just that – keep Watson’s best interest in mind.
That said, Deshaun is well within his right to demand a trade and sit out until he gets one.
Fans are always quick to defend billionaire owners and say that players should honor these contracts that they signed. However, why aren’t these same owners forced to honor the contracts that they sign these players to?
We see NFL owners and general managers every year cut and release players they no longer believe are worth the money that they are paying them simply to save money and they did it with very little complaining from fans.
Why can players do the same thing?
Since Deshaun signed that contract, the Texans have released JJ Watt, replaced their entire front office and coaching staff, as well as fired some very well-respected communication staff members that Deshaun loved working with.
The Texans have changed everything since Deshaun agreed to be their franchise quarterback. If the franchise has changed its mind on who it wants to be moving forward, then why can’t Deshaun Watson change his mind on wanting to play for them moving forward?
The fact is, if Deshaun is willing to forego millions and sit out to force a trade from a situation he no longer wants to be part of, no one has any right to question his character or love of the game.