Waiting for Deshaun Watson could end Matt Rhule’s Panthers era

Could waiting around for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson spell the end of Matt Rhule’s era as head coach of the Carolina Panthers?

There are some contrasting reports about Deshaun Watson and the Carolina Panthers, which is a story that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. The Houston Texans quarterback is still in the midst of some serious legal issues that one suspects need to be resolved before he can get his long-awaited trade, and there is even a chance he never plays football again such are the seriousness of these sexual misconduct allegations.

This is a situation that the Panthers have monitored closely throughout. It’s no secret that they were willing to go all-in for Watson before these complications surfaced and the organization even took another look just before the trade deadline before opting to bring back Cam Newton instead.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Panthers were willing to trade for Watson even with the obvious complications. But the signal-caller was not willing to waive his no-trade clause to finalize the switch.

"“The Panthers were willing to make the deal regardless of the civil (or criminal) cases, but Watson didn’t want to waive his no-trade clause for a trade to Carolina.”"

To say this would have been controversial is an understatement. Jeopardizing the team’s future for a player with so much baggage and uncertainty reeks of desperation and after the Jerry Richardson debacle, indicates that not much has been learned from such a saga.

Tepper wants to win and he thinks Watson can help get him there. From a talent standpoint, that isn’t even up for discussion, but it is not that simple and the backlash would have been severe, to put it mildly.

Deshaun Watson is reportedly more receptive to joining the Carolina Panthers

However, all hope is not lost for Carolina if they are intent on waiting around for Watson. Aaron Wilson from Pro Football Network stated that the Clemson product is now more open-minded about returning to a region where he once starred in college.

"“The Panthers are among the NFL teams closely monitoring the Watson situation. Watson has a no-trade clause in his $156 million contract and is reportedly open-minded toward several NFL teams, including the Panthers. Watson is due a $35 million base salary for 2021 that is fully guaranteed for skill, injury, and salary cap.”"

Sam Darnold is not the guy. Everyone knows this and reports linking with Carolina calling the Minnesota Vikings about the availability of Kirk Cousins, an aggressive search for yet another veteran signal-caller is well underway.

In an ideal world, Watson wouldn’t have a cloud hanging over him and the Panthers could quite happily offer three first-round picks and more to secure his services.

Again, that is not the case. And trading for Watson would further fracture a fanbase that is becoming increasingly disillusioned by the way things are currently transpiring.

Time is of the essence. Waiting around on the off-chance Watson’s legal matters resolve and he demonstrates a willingness to come on board could end up costing Matt Rhule his job.

There is enormous pressure on Rhule to win now. Tepper will no doubt be piling on further behind the scenes as the billionaire becomes more like the problem and not the solution.

Watson has a long way to go, himself. And it’s also worth remembering that his reputation is now tarnished no matter which way this situation goes in the end.

As always, all we can do is wait. But the Panthers don’t have the luxury of sitting on their hands and relying on Darnold to somehow turn things around.