Report: Texans’ opinion of Tua Tagovailoa could be ‘deal-breaker’ in potential Deshaun Watson trade

A new report indicates that the Houston Texans aren’t likely to acquire Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as part of any deal for their disgruntled signal-caller Deshaun Watson.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle looked at the different trade options the Texans could be considering for Watson, who is currently at odds with his team. While a potential deal for Watson with Miami involving Tagovailoa seems logical, the Texans appear to be unenthusiastic about Tagovailoa’s potential.

“Miami has a quarterback with upside in Tua Tagovailoa, but that could be a deal-breaker for the Texans,” Wilson wrote. “Tagovailoa, a former Alabama standout who had his moments during his rookie season, isn’t regarded as a quarterback the Texans will view as an adequate replacement for Watson, according to multiple league sources.

“The Texans are considered far more likely to draft a quarterback, someone like Ohio State’s Justin Fields or BYU’s Zach Wilson, to replace Watson than swap him out for Tagovailoa.”

The Dolphins actually own the Texans’ top two picks in April’s draft, including the third selection overall, as part of the Laremy Tunsil deal. The only way the Texans would be able to select a quarterback like Fields or Zach Wilson is to deal Watson for one of the top picks in the draft.

Rumors about Watson wanting out of Houston have been cited, and it seems clear that an inability to repair the conflict may eventually force a deal.

Any Dolphins trade for Watson would almost certainly lead to the team trading away Tagovailoa, something that general manager Chris Grier essentially dismissed earlier this month.

The Dolphins have a talented young quarterback entering his second year and four picks in the first two rounds of April’s draft, which means they can afford to be patient with respect to any proposed deal for Watson.

Still, it will be interesting to see how these trade rumors develop as the Dolphins’ offseason continues.