After months of dipping their foot in and out of the pool, the Carolina Panthers were the subject of a few reports on Sunday morning regarding the availability of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. They’d also be the subject of a few more throughout the following hours.
We started off the day with nods from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport towards the Panthers’ renewed interest in Watson. Both reporters noted that Carolina could soon jump into the fray and try to outbid the Miami Dolphins for the services of the legally troubled quarterback.
Then, almost immediately at the conclusion of their 25-3 loss to the New York Giants, we got this from longtime team beat writer and The Athletic‘s Joseph Person:
League and team sources expect the Panthers to be involved in the Deshaun Watson trade talks.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 24, 2021
Then, soon after that, we got even further confirmation from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio stated the Panthers are indeed the second of two teams, along with Miami, that are currently in play for Watson.
“The decision as to a final destination likely will be made by Watson, who has a no-trade clause and thus can veto any specific deal,” Florio writes. “Watson, put simply, has a decision to make.
“A decision is expected soon. It’s not impossible that someone else could get involved. At this point, however, it’s the Dolphins as the favorites and the Panthers as the next possible landing spot, with Watson being the one who will make the final call.”
His final call, if it does come, will have to materialize before the league’s Nov. 2 trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET.
The Panthers, especially after the recent play from current starter Sam Darnold, seem ready to commit to some kind of effort for the Pro Bowl passer. But is he, however, prepared to make a commitment to them?
All of this, of course, is just an additional layer of cloudiness in what’s been a muddled and unfortunate situation, particularly perhaps for the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct. We still seem far from a resolution to what really matters even though we may be inching closer to the end of a chapter of the 26-year-old’s professional career.