NY Jets: David Culley hints at a future Deshaun Watson trade

The rumors surrounding the NY Jets‘ quarterback situation continue to dominate the offseason headlines. And perhaps the most prevalent rumor has centered around Houston Texans’ superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Watson’s status in Houston remains cloudy at best as we approach the start of free agency. It’s been rumored for quite some time now that Watson doesn’t plan on playing another game for the organization and is hoping to get moved this offseason.

The Texans remain stagnant in their stance, at least for now. They don’t want to trade Watson. But they may not have a choice.

And in a recent interview with NFL Network’s Jim Trotter, Texans’ head coach David Culley seemed to hint that the organization has begun to realize that a divorce is inevitable.

Culley was asked if Watson would be the Texans’ starting quarterback in 2021, to which he gave a very interesting response.

“He is our starting quarterback right now. He is our starting quarterback. Things happen between now and then. We’ll see what happens.”

Culley specifically emphasized the “right now” and that nothing is certain in the future. That sure doesn’t sound like a guy who’s confident that Watson will be his team’s starting quarterback in 2021.

The NY Jets could make Deshaun Watson a priority this offseason

At this point, it seems inevitable that Watson will be traded. For the best interest of everyone involved, it should be this offseason. And that seems to be a realization the Texans are coming to.

If that’s the case, if Watson is traded this offseason, the Jets stand as good of a chance to land the 25-year-old superstar as any other team.

With an abundance of draft capital including that ever-so-important No. 2 overall pick and plenty of financial flexibility, the Jets can offer a package that no other team could match.

Watson will have his fair share of suitors, as is par for the course with a 25-year-old top-five quarterback on the trade market. But the Jets will likely be the first team that Houston comes to.

With an uncertain quarterback situation, the Jets have plenty of options this offseason. The 2021 NFL Draft represents a golden opportunity to reset the clock on a new rookie quarterback in what many believe to be a stacked QB class.

But if Watson is available, all bets are off.

Never before in NFL history has a 25-year-old elite quarterback been made available on the trade market. Things like this just don’t happen — and that’s why general manager Joe Douglas might be forced to entertain an offer.

The Jets will surely be monitoring this situation over the coming weeks. But for now, it seems the Texans are finally beginning to realize that a trade is unavoidable.