The latest rumor swirling around the National Football League after the divisional round of the playoffs may be one of the worst kept secrets: the retirement of longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. As he left the field in the wake of Sunday’s home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he blew kisses into the stands and took one last look out onto the field. After the game, he and his kids came down onto the field and spent some time with Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, talking before Brady threw a touchdown pass to one of Brees’ sons.
This is far from the only gossip in the league, though, so as you consider your NFL betting options down the road, take a look at the latest info.
NFL News: The Latest Rumor Mill
Where will Deshaun Watson go?
It seems clear that Deshaun Watson no longer wants to be part of the Houston Texans organization. Team owner Cal McNair had told him that he would be in on the discussions when it came to choosing the next GM and coach, but instead, McNair glommed onto Jack Easterby, a nebulous figure who started out as a character coach and somehow has the ear of the owner despite having alienated much of the coaching staff and many of the players in the locker room. Easterby and McNair have brought in Nick Caserio, an Easterby pal from New England, as the team’s new general manager, and Watson’s subsequent ire means that the Texans only have two realistic options: trade Watson or force him to retire if he wants to walk. But which teams would have the best shot at this trade?
The New York Jets already have someone who could become an elite quarterback in Sam Darnold, who has somewhat thrived despite having a dumpster fire of a head coaching situation in Adam Gase and zero weapons around him. The Jets have brought in Robert Saleh from San Francisco, though, and his ability to transform the culture of the 49ers’ defense is attractive. Mike LaFleur is in as the new offensive coordinator. What if the Jets shipped Darnold and a bunch of draft choices south for Watson?
The San Francisco 49ers could send Jimmy Garoppolo to Houston, with some draft picks, in exchange for Watson. The 49ers don’t have as many draft picks to throw in, but the personnel executive (Caserio) who drafted him as a Patriot is now running things in Houston. Garoppolo would be one of the best quarterbacks in the AFC South, especially if Philip Rivers does not return to Indianapolis.
What about the Miami Dolphins? They could ship Tua Tagovailoa to Houston, and they have several first-round picks in this year’s draft, including the #3 pick they got from Houston in the Laremy Tunsil trade. In the first 114 picks, Miami will have six selections, and the Dolphins are looking at Pep Hamilton and Tony Elliott as possible offensive coordinators, both of whom would work well with Watson. Hamilton spent this past year developing Justin Herbert into a start with the Chargers, and Elliott has familiarity with Watson from their time at Clemson.
Then there are the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin is known as a fair head coach, and it looks like the sun is setting on Ben Roethlisberger’s career. Is Mason Rudolph the successor? He looked solid at times against Cleveland in Week 17, but when Big Ben went down for the season in 2019, Rudolph was both fragile and ineffective at times, leaving the offense in the hands of Devlin Hodges. Pittsburgh’s first-round draft choices aren’t as high as some of the other teams here, because they have played better in recent seasons. The Steelers have a terrific GM, a log of young players at the skill positions, and they have shown considerable stability for an NFL franchise. But does Houston really want to trade Watson in the conference? Watson has a no-trade clause, though, so the Texans may be limited in terms of suitors.
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