According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has officially requested a trade. According to the report, the ask actually came weeks ago, and the news breaks as the organization appears set to hire David Culley as its new head coach.
Deshaun Watson officially has requested a trade from the Houston Texans, per league sources. He actually did it weeks ago. Their new head-coaching hire, David Culley, has not and will not alter Watson's thinking.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 28, 2021
It is worth noting that Watson has a no-trade clause in his contract and can dictate which team he is sent to, should the Texans comply with his request.
The San Francisco 49ers have been rumored as a team looking to upgrade at the quarterback position and, therefore, have been part of the speculation surrounding Watson's potential destination. The team has also been linked to Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions, who is available via a trade.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a vote in confidence in Jimmy Garoppolo as the starting quarterback in 2021 but noted that the team is always looking to improve.
"Now, you look into every avenue, and you see if there's something out there that can get you a ton better," Shanahan told reporters on December 28. "It's the same answer for every position."
The Texans drafted Watson out of Clemson with the No. 12 overall pick in 2017. He completed 382-of-544 attempts (70.2 percent) for a league-leading 4,823 yards with 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions through 16 games in 2020.
Watson, 25, has completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 14,539 yards with 104 touchdowns and 36 interceptions through his four NFL seasons. He is a three-time Pro Bowl selection.