Like many San Francisco 49ers fans, NFL Media reporter Jim Trotter would love to see head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch go after Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Assuming Watson can convince the Texans to trade him, acquiring the quarterback will be costly, and there will be competition.
How long would the 49ers last in a bidding war for the game-changing quarterback, and how much would they be comfortable surrendering? While Watson has repeatedly indicated that he has no desire to play another snap in Houston, the Texans have said they have no desire to trade their quarterback. The situation could change if the standoff continues.
"One thing we know is that there's going to be quarterback play this offseason," Trotter said on NFL Network, "and if by chance San Francisco has an opportunity to put together a package to bring in Deshaun Watson, my mind just explodes with the idea of Deshaun Watson with Kyle Shanahan.
"The play-caller and play designer, with someone of Deshaun's elite talent, to me, that's where we see San Francisco back in the Super Bowl — and by the way, I'm a San Francisco native, so that would be fine with me — and potentially hoisting that Lombardi Trophy."
A healthy San Francisco roster will probably already be viewed as a contender in the NFC. Adding Watson could place it among the favorites to win Super Bowl LVI, and maybe even future championships.
On Sunday, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that the 49ers are among the teams "very interested" in acquiring Watson, should he become available. The star quarterback is just 25 years old and is preparing to enter his fifth NFL season. Watson has missed just one game over the past three years and led the league with 4,823 passing yards while throwing 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions during the 2020 season.
