What comes next for Deshaun Watson and the Carolina Panthers?

In the past 48 hours there have been some significant developments regarding Deshaun Watson, but what does it all mean for the Carolina Panthers? 

We have known for some time that the Carolina Panthers have had a sort of on-again, off-again relationship with the Deshaun Watson situation, with various sources over the last 12 months linking him to the organization both before the 2021 season and shortly before the trade deadline.

Since Wednesday more news has been leaking out from various inside sources about where Carolina is in this situation, who has been pushing the interest, how it all breaks down, what it would take to get Watson, and details linking them to a bombshell trade.

One big thing that has come out is how involved David Tepper has been in pushing for Watson, being adamant since the former first-round pick demanded a trade that they must do anything to acquire the signal-caller.

Of course, this was before Watson was broiled in controversy with multiple accusations of some very disturbing things, which almost immediately cut off any idea of trading for the player. That is until the trade deadline approached, where it is reported that the Panthers went into the owners’ meeting with full confidence they would be able to acquire the Clemson product for a package that included multiple picks and potentially a player.

This obviously did not end up working out with Watson declining the trade to Carolina because at the time he preferred the Miami Dolphins, which left the front office empty-handed at the end of the trade deadline.

Miami has since bowed out of the race for Watson, with general Chris Grier stating at the combine “the door is shut”, opting to move forward with Tua Tagovailoa instead.

Carolina Panthers should now make their play for Deshaun Watson

For months, Carolina has been linked to Watson on a more hush basis, where reporters and insiders were left in limbo as to if they did or did not want the player as a result of some serious legal issues that will no longer come with the threat of criminal conviction.

This has become the trend now in the NFL with teams giving up bundles in order to get one of the few franchise quarterbacks in the league, as the Denver Broncos did recently with Russell Wilson, and the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams did last year with Matt Stafford. In a copycat league, one can only expect other organizations to try and emulate that, doing whatever they can to nab an elite player at the most important position in sports.

Recently, it was revealed the Panthers have been in a dead heat for Watson, with multiple reports confirming it could take three first-round picks, multiple mid-round picks, and 1-2 starters in order to land the 26-year-old. They have been directly linked calling the Houston Texans in regards to the former NFL’s passing leader and one can only assume that a package as stated, is being worked out between the two as trade talks will undoubtedly ramp up following Friday’s Grand Jury ruling.

Even though Watson has avoided the criminal side of things, there are now civil cases to get through. This is also without even mentioning the NFL’s own independent investigation that could come down with a suspension at any given moment.

Should Watson not face any major suspensions, you can expect the Carolina Panthers to be at the front of the line in the race for their would-be franchise quarterback. It has also been made abundantly clear that price is no obstacle.

Whether that is conducive to building a competitive team remains to be seen. And the trade is not going to sit well with large sections of the team’s fanbase after everything that’s gone on.