Deshaun Watson's time with the Houston Texans may have come to an end Friday night after the team selected Stanford quarterback Davis Mills with the No. 67 overall pick.
While Watson adamantly requested a trade earlier this offseason, the emergence of more than 20 civil suits alleging sexual misconduct and assault derailed his standing in the league. With the selection of Mills, Watson's time in Houston appears to be winding down.
"Everybody in the National Football League believes it's only a matter of time before Deshaun Watson is a former Houston Texan," NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on NFL Network.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed Thursday the league is investigating Watson for potential violations of the league's personal conduct policy.
"We're obviously following that and looking at that ourselves," Goodell said. "There are important steps that we will be taking as part of our personal conduct policy. When we get to that point we will certainly make a decision."
It's unclear if the Texans will try to trade Watson or look to cut him.
The 25-year-old carries a $15.9 million cap hit this season and would account for a $67.1 dead cap hit if he's released before June. If released after June 1, his dead cap lowers to $50.9 million in 2021 and $16.2 million dead cap in 2022, per Spotrac.
Finding a trade partner may prove an even more difficult situation.
Beyond the legal implications yet to be resolved, the market for a starting quarterback has rapidly depleted since the NFL draft kicked off Thursday.
Potential suitors for Watson—including the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets—each addressed their quarterback room this week, leaving the Texans with few trade partners.
Either way, Watson may not see the field again in Houston in 2021.