Houston’s Deshaun Watson asks for trade, and Dolphins among teams that interest him

The Miami Dolphins’ quarterback situation, supposedly settled when the team publicly committed to Tua Tagovailoa in early January, might now not be so settled.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who led the NFL in passing yardage this past season, has asked for a trade, ESPN and NFL Network reported Thursday. And Miami is among the teams that reportedly interest him.

The Dolphins and Jets are viewed as the most realistic suitors because they have the most draft inventory to offer Houston, and because Watson reportedly has interest in both.

And because Watson has a no-trade clause, he can have significant say in where he ends up.

The Dolphins have first-round picks at No. 3 and No. 18 and second-round picks at No. 36 and No. 50. Miami also has all of its high picks in drafts beyond 2021.

The Jets have picks at No. 2, 23 and 34 in this draft and own two first-round picks in the 2022 draft, including one from Seattle.

Watson reportedly likes the culture that Brian Flores has built with the Dolphins.

And the sense among league power brokers at this week’s Senior Bowl, an all-star showcase coached by the Dolphins staff this year, is that Miami is Watson’s likeliest destination.

“The chatter is getting louder,” one plugged-in source said Wednesday. “Watson feels like the situation [in Houston] is unfixable, and Miami is seen as the front-runner behind the scenes.”

Watson would be required to provide written notice that he would permit a trade to a particular team before a trade could be consummated. More than half the league is interested, reported NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

But one potential obstacle: The Houston Chronicle reported that the Texans aren’t particularly interested in Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Any Dolphins trade offer could be built around a collection of draft picks and potentially cornerback Xavien Howard, who is expected to ask for a trade if the Dolphins don’t acquiesce to his upcoming request for a pay raise in the second year of a five-year extension.

It’s unclear if the Dolphins would be willing to trade Howard, whose 10 interceptions last season were the most since 2007. Last October, the Dolphins told Howard’s former agent that Miami wasn’t interested in trading him after Howard expressed interest in possibly playing elsewhere.

If Houston has no interest in Tagovailoa, Miami could potentially flip him for a late first-round pick or a second-round pick — or keep him another year as a backup.

The Houston Texans had hoped that new coach David Culley could persuade Watson to remain with the Texans, but that will have no impact on his trade request, ESPN reported.

Watson is under contract through 2025. He’s set to earn $10.5 million in base salary in 2021, $35 million, $20 million, $32 million and $32 million in the following four seasons.

Holding out, or even potentially retiring, to force the Texans to deal him would come at a considerable cost, including $500,000 for missed workouts, upwards of $3 million for missed preseason/training camp and more than a half-million dollars per week of the regular season, according to Over The Cap. Plus, if he retires, the Texans could go after most of his $27 million signing bonus.

Watson threw for 4,823 yards this past season with 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions and a 112.4 passer rating.

In four professional seasons, he has 104 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a 104.5 passer rating.

Here’s a look at how acquiring Watson would impact the Dolphins’ salary cap and their ability to add players around him.

This story will continue to be updated. Please check back.