Earlier in the week, six teams — including the Houston Texans — had better odds than the San Francisco 49ers to have Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback for Week 1 of the 2021 season. Now, only two teams — still including the Texans — sit ahead of head coach Kyle Shanahan's squad, according to oddsmakers.
The relationship between Watson and the Texans has soured. The quarterback is frustrated that he has not been included in major decisions despite the team indicating that he would. Watson recently expressed that his anger level is at a 10 right now. By comparison, that anger level was at a two when the Texans opted to trade away wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins last offseason without speaking with their star quarterback about the situation.
I was on 2 then I took it to 10
— Deshaun Watson (@deshaunwatson) January 15, 2021
Below are the 10 favorites to have Watson on their rosters during Week 1 of the 2021 season, per Bovada and courtesy of Spotrac.
- Texans - 5/8
- Dolphins - 3/1
- 49ers - 9/1
- Patriots - 10/1
- Jets - 10/1
- Bears - 12/1
- Colts - 14/1
- Washington - 20/1
- Eagles - 25/1
- Lions - 33/1
Watson, 25, is preparing to enter his fifth NFL season. The Texans selected him out of Clemson with the No. 12 overall pick in 2017. The quarterback is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, including representing the AFC for this past season's body of work. Watson led the league with a career-high 4,823 passing yards through 16 games, completing 70.2 percent of his passes while throwing 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Of course, trading for the star quarterback would require hefty compensation, with many indicating that it would take multiple first-round picks even to begin conversations with Houston.
Where Will Deshaun Watson Play Game 1 Of The 2021 NFL Regular Season? (@BovadaOfficial)#Texans, 5/8#Dolphins, 3/1#49ers, 9/1#Patriots, 10/1#Jets, 10/1#Bears, 12/1#Colts, 14/1#WashingtonFootball, 20/1#Eagles, 25/1#Lions, 33/1
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 16, 2021