Could the Carolina Panthers go back in for Deshaun Watson?

Is Deshaun Watson a realistic option?

Just before the Carolina Panthers officially sanctioned the Sam Darnold trade, team owner David Tepper and others within the organization reportedly took one last look at the situation with Deshaun Watson, doing their due diligence before casting their eye elsewhere.

This is a strong indicator as to just how determined they were to get the NFL’s passing leader in 2020 to the franchise. If things resolve quicker than they anticipated, they’d be faced with another huge call at the most important position on the field.

Giving up on Darnold before he gets the chance to prove himself in a different climate is the harshest way this could go for the former No. 3 overall selection. But even though he did get his fifth-year option picked up by the Panthers, it won’t take long for the doubts to surface if things start trending on a downward slope during some easier games to open the campaign.

As stated previously, trading for an elite quarterback at the peak of his powers is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for NFL teams. Situations like this simply don’t come along every year and considering how interested they were before bringing Darnold on board, it might see them go back in again if the Houston Texans become more receptive.

That is probably likely given the circumstances.

Carolina needs to ensure that there will be no further legal matters involving Watson in the event his current ones get resolved. But in terms of whether this is realistic or not, the team has already proven it’s willing to go bold with its decision-making no matter what the predicament if they think it will benefit the organization.