Rumors swirling around the NFL have suggested that Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and Deshaun Watson could all find their way to new homes for next season. One new report finds a way to squeeze all of them — plus Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Bosa — into one four-way mega deal.
This offseason is expected to bring unprecedented movement among quarterbacks, with as many as 20 teams going into next season with a new signal-caller behind center. Watson is considered the most likely to move after he asked the Houston Texans for a trade following a falling out with the team’s front office, but Wilson has more recently entered the rumor mill.
Nick Wright of Fox Sports 1’s First Things First has come up with a potential deal that would include all of them. The NFL insider imagined a trade where the Seattle Seahawks would receive Garoppolo, Bosa, and the 23rd and 22nd picks in the upcoming draft; the 49ers land Watson; the Texans receive Darnold along with the 2nd, 12th, and 34th picks this year and a 1st round one from the Jets; and New York gets Russell Wilson.
. @getnickwright has created what he considers his masterpiece — a 4-team NFL Super Trade:
Seahawks get: Jimmy G, Nick Bosa, 23rd pick & ’22 1st Rd pick (SF) 49ers get: Deshaun Watson Texans get: 2nd, 12th, 34th picks, ’22 1st Rd pick (NYJ) & Sam Darnold Jets get: Russell Wilson pic.twitter.com/Ug4YTwEB1E
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) February 12, 2021
While such a large and complicated deal may be seen as unlikely, there are others who have suggested there could be some multi-team trades this offseason in order to put all the pieces together and move some of the franchise quarterbacks reportedly on the block. As The Inquisitr reported, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell also came up with a scenario where the New England Patriots are reunited with Garoppolo, Tom Brady’s former backup. The trade would also see Watson headed to the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers going to the 49ers, and current Green Bay backup Jordan Love going to the Texans, along with a series of first-round picks.
It’s still not clear if some of the major pieces will be on the move. The rumors surrounding Wilson have been shaky, with reports surfacing that some clubs have called the Seahawks to inquire about him. However, there has been no indication they are planning to ship him out. Houston has reportedly told teams that Watson is not on the block either, and some insiders have suggested the franchise could be willing to levy a series of fines and dock his pay should the signal-caller decide not to report.
There are also indications that the Jets could stick with Darnold for another season, giving him a chance to show more consistency and play out the remainder of his rookie contract.