😱 The Biggest Trade In NFL History?

Deshaun Watson says he wants out of Houston, which could result in the biggest and most significant trade the NFL has ever seen. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Deshaun Watson has made it clear he wants out of Houston, which could set up the most significant trade the NFL has ever seen ... we take a look at why no one can solve Nikola Jokic ... and we celebrate the anniversary of arguably the greatest Grand Slam title match in tennis history. The Chicago Tribune is asking what it would take for the Bears to get him, the Miami Herald has no fewer than four stories about him in relation to the Dolphins, the New York Post has helpfully devised a two-pronged attack for the Jets to go after him and the San Francisco Chronicle is urging the 49ers to just “do whatever it takes.” The National Football League has 32 teams in 29 primary media markets. As this week has percolated, writers in almost every one of those media markets are all talking about the same thing. No, not the Super Bowl and (insert team name of choice)’s failure to reach it, but a player who won’t be playing in the biggest game of all and didn’t get anywhere near it. Deshaun Watson. [STORY IMAGE 1] Elite quarterback, soon to be Houston departee, and, unwittingly the glue currently uniting local sports media around the United States. According to reports, [Watson dropped the hammer on the Houston Texans by saying he had no desire to continue playing for the team and wished to be traded](. Which, in turn, set up a flurry of speculation, which will be followed by a flurry of activity among general managers and their strategic actuarial advisers, which will ultimately result in probably the biggest and most significant trade the NFL has ever seen. On Friday, Texans General Manager Nick Caserio said the team has “zero interest” in trading Watson. Texans head coach David Culley followed that up by saying “the reason I'm in this position today is because I know he's going to be a Houston Texan,” in relation to Watson. But don’t worry too much about that. Guess who indicated something similar a few weeks back? That’s right, the Houston Rockets with James Harden, who is now starring in Brooklyn. For a 25-year-old quarterback who has already established himself as one of the very best in the game to hit what amounts to the open market is unprecedented, and it's shaping up to be the storyline that sustains us through the summer. [STORY IMAGE 2] Earlier this week, [I wrote, rather gloomily, asking what we’d do with ourselves and what we’d talk about once football season is over](. Answers on a postcard, please, but this is a pretty good starting point. Just as it is going to take a mighty collection of picks and talent to land Watson, it also takes a lot to get the entire, dispersed NFL media discussing the same topic, while each doing it in the specific way that relates to their market. That’s what has happened with Watson though, because every NFL fan in the country falls into one of two categories: either they’d love to have him as their QB for years to come, or they support the Kansas City Chiefs. Okay, that’s a slight simplification, and yes, I know Russell Wilson is Seattle royalty and Aaron Rodgers’ quasi-standoff in Green Bay is one most Packers fans hope ends with him staying put. Yet Watson is such a rare commodity because he confers the promise of both “win now” and “keep on winning” given his age and ability. He was part of a Houston team that went 4-12 and yet rightfully received none of the blame. “They trade away DeAndre Hopkins, they never get him an offensive line, the defense stinks, it’s a disaster,” [FS1’s Nick Wright said on First Things First](. “So, of course he should be unhappy and of course he should want out. For his sake I want him out. He deserves better than Houston.” [STORY IMAGE 3] Depending on where he lands, there is every chance Watson turns that team into an instant Super Bowl contender and if things are handled right, why shouldn’t such a scenario continue for the next five years, or more? That’s why “Watsonspeak” is everywhere. Some of it is hopeful, some of it is nervous, some a little pessimistic and some is just thoroughly entertaining, like [this from the Arizona Republic’s Dan Bickley.]( “We are not a city of champions. We are a collection of masochists. Heads up Phoenix. It can always get worse. We could always be Houston,” Bickley wrote, before proposing a trade involving Watson and Kyler Murray. “And all things considered, it wouldn’t hurt to pick up the phone and see if their NFL team would like to swap quarterbacks.” Even in New Orleans - where some diehards still think talk of Drew Brees heading to a TV studio is nonsense and that he’ll keep playing until he’s 65 - they’re whispering about how it might be a good idea to go at the guy who put the Texans 24 points ahead of the Chiefs in a playoff game a year ago. [STORY IMAGE 4] In Indianapolis, Tennessee and Jacksonville, no one thinks that even the dysfunctional Texans would be silly enough to release Watson to a divisional rival, so they’re contenting themselves with a sense of delight at him moving on rather than any genuine trade aspirations. “That’s better for us that he’s out of the division,” [Titans running back Derrick Henry told USA Today](. “We definitely appreciate it.” Frankly, everyone outside of a 281 area code appreciates it. It is something to talk about and it is the chance to see one of the best players in the league wind up somewhere that appreciates him enough to capitalize on his abilities, rather than wasting his prime (or pre-prime) on a troubled team. And, for the faithful followers of organizations that might not otherwise have much of it – it offers some hope. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Jonathan Jones, CBS Sports: “Watson should want to be able to join a team that knows what it needs to fill in around the quarterback through free agency and the draft. Putting all these measures in place by the start of the league year benefits all parties the most.” Shannon Sharpe, Undisputed: “He (Watson) has made it abundantly clear he no longer wants to play for the Houston Texans. He doesn’t like the culture in which they’ve cultivated in that organization. He’s done. He’s out. That’s bad news for the Houston Texans.” Colin Cowherd, The Herd: “In the history of the NFL, this does not happen. You just don’t get a 25-year-old star quarterback on the market in the NFL. In the history of the NFL, this doesn’t happen. He wants out. This is unbelievable.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - NFL players who sat out the season have experienced grief, joy and confusion – but not regret. [ESPN senior writer Elizabeth Merrill]( looks at the NFL players who opted out of playing this season. - LeBron James and Joel Embiid are worthy MVP front-runners, but Nikola Jokic is putting up prime numbers with staggering efficiency and deserves a seat at the table. [The Ringer’s Dan Devine]( explains why no one can solve Nikola Jokic. - Unable to land an A-list candidate due to their dysfunction, Tennessee turned to the unknown, but did pick a name familiar to their name Athletic Director. [Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports]( explains why Tennessee was destined for a hire like Josh Heupel. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Happy anniversary to arguably the greatest Grand Slam final of all-time. On this date in 2012, Novak Djokovic won a five-set thriller (5-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5) over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. The match lasted 5 hours and 53 minutes, which is the longest Grand Slam singles final in the history of pro tennis. Sit back, relax and take a trip down memory lane. You won’t regret it! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Friday Night SmackDown (FOX, 8 p.m. ET) Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens make one last stand this Friday on SmackDown. Iowa at Illinois (FS1, 9 p.m. ET) Luka Garza and the No. 7-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes take on Ayo Dosunmu and the No. 19-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. Villanova at Seton Hall (Saturday, FOX, 3:30 p.m. ET) Collin Gillespie and the No. 3-ranked Villanova Wildcats battle Sando Mamukelashvili and the Seton Hall Pirates. Kansas at Tennessee (Saturday, ESPN, 6 p.m. ET) Ochai Agbaji and the No. 15-ranked Kansas Jayhawks take on John Fulkerson and the No. 18-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics (Saturday, ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET) LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers battle Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY]( Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are listed as 3-point underdogs to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs heading into Super Bowl LV. As always with the Super Bowl, there's plenty to bet on besides the final line, and we'll be covering all the key props and wagering possibilities at FOX Sports over the next two weeks. You can get in on the action with [the FOX Bet Super 6 contest]( where a prize of $250,000 is on the line in the big game. Just download the Super 6 app and answer six key questions on the game to take your shot. Here’s a look at Jason McIntyre’s advise on how to bet the Super 6. 1. How many completions will Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes combine for? The choices: 0-36, 37-40, 41-43, 44-46, 47-49, 50-plus THE PICK: 50-plus 2. Which team will have the most receptions and by how many? The choices for the margin: 0-1, 2, 3, 4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-plus THE PICK: Chiefs by 7-8 3. Which team will have the most rushing yards and by how many? The choices for the margin: 0-5, 6-13, 14-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59, 60-79, 80-104, 105-plus THE PICK: Bucs by 25-34 4. Which teams will have the most receiving yards and by how many? The choices for the margin: 0-9, 10-24, 24-39, 40-54, 55-74, 75-94, 95-114, 115-144, 145-plus THE PICK: Chiefs by 55-74 5. Which team will kick the longest field goal and by how many yards? The choices for the margin: 0-33, 34-39, 40-42, 43-45, 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-plus THE PICK: Bucs, 43-45 yards 6. Which team will win and by how many points? The choices for the margin: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, 19-21, 22-25 THE PICK: Chiefs by 4-6 [WHAT THEY SAID] “I’ve observed that if individuals who prevail in a high competitive environment have any one thing in common besides success, it is failure—and their ability to overcome it.” — Bill Walsh [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. 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