In the aftermath of the news that disgruntled Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz will be traded to the Colts, the personal coach of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson posed a question on Twitter.
“What’s the criteria for a quarterback asking to get traded, then actually getting traded?” Quincy Avery posted. “Asking for a friend.”
Indeed he is. Watson, like Wentz, wants a new start. Wentz is getting one. Watson, so far, isn’t.
The situations are different, however. Wentz had a horrible 2020, and the Eagles were staring down more than $40 million in guarantees over the next two years. The Eagles also have Jalen Hurts, who seems to be ready to take over the starting job.
Watson, in contrast, played like one of the best quarterbacks in football last year, even though the rest of the team didn’t. He’s in the early years of a long-term, big-money extension. The cap and cash charges, especially in 2021, are more than manageable. Watson makes only $10.54 million in base salary this year, and his cap number will be only $15.94 million. (That changes in a year, when Watson has a fully-guaranteed salary of $35 million.)
There’s another difference. The Eagles seem to understand how to figure out a plan that promotes their overall best interests. The Texans don’t. Frankly, the Texans seem determined to draw a line in the sand simply because they can. That definitely won’t get them the best possible return when Deshaun inevitably gets what he wants.