J.J. Watt asked for his release and the Texans granted the request, but CEO Cal McNair said the team isn’t ready to move on without quarterback Deshaun Watson.
McNair spoke to Adam Schefter of ESPN after the announcement that Watt will be playing elsewhere in 2021 and said that move was a case of “doing right” by a player who has meant a great deal to the franchise.
McNair didn’t want to talk about the other topics that have swirled around the team. He told Schefter that “it’s not the right time to talk about” a front office that lost team president Jamey Rootes this week but he did touch on Watson’s situation while pushing back at those who think the team’s operating in a dysfunctional fashion.
“There is a lot of misinformation out there, I’ll leave it at that,” McNair said. “Today we want on focus on J.J. Deshaun is our quarterback, he is a Texan, and we expect him to remain a Texan, and we’ll leave that.”
Word earlier this week is that the Texans are holding firm when it comes to not trading Watson, but there’s been little sign that he’s come around to a more positive view of the organization. His comment regarding Watt’s departure doesn’t suggest that this move is going to change his mind, but it’s status quo on his front for the time being.