The Deshaun Watson saga has intrigued the football world over the past few weeks. There has been enough internal drama to turn down Watson and get him to request an operation, which would put a franchised quarterback at his best in the market.
Not much is known about what happened inside the Texan organization that sparked Watson’s disapproval, aside from the fact that he was not consulted about hiring the new Texans CEO Nick Caserio.
But how bad are things in Houston?
Someone who knows a little about this culture within the Texan organization is Tashaun Gipson, who was released by Houston last season and picked up by Chicago.
“Listen, man, I can tell you, honestly, not only from the outside, but speaking from the inside is simple. It’s different, ”Gipson told The Hoge & Jahns Podcast.
“That’s no shadow for anyone involved, but when you see an organization losing a guy like DeAndre Hopkins and some of the moves and things they’ve done, it’s hard (understand how you can’t) keep your franchise player that, “In my opinion, he’s one of the top three quarterbacks in the National Football League. So when you lose a guy like that, he tells you a lot about what’s going on at the top.”
At the center of the Texans controversy is Executive Vice President Jack Easterby, who is not exactly a proven football executive, as evidenced by everything that has happened over the past two seasons.
Houston’s toxic football culture has been a hot topic of conversation, specifically what had to transcend for Watson to want to come out just a year after signing a four-year, $ 156 million extension.
He started with the possibility of switching football’s best receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, to the Arizona Cardinals and has culminated with Easterby hiring the new Texans general manager without consulting Watson, after being told they would.
“My situation was completely different from Hops and totally different from (Watson), but it just shows the way things are done there, it’s crazy when you think about it,” Gipson said. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a quarterback at his maximum intensity (I mean, he hasn’t even reached his maximum intensity) who would want to leave after signing a life-changing contract, is in the height of everything everyone has been listening to. Let’s just say it. “
While the Texans have made calls about Watson, it’s still unclear if they’ll really change him or see how things unfold this offseason. Houston insists Watson is his quarterback of the future, but that quarterback doesn’t want to have anything to do with them.
But if Watson came to the open market, there is no doubt that he would accumulate quite a lot of compensation from many interested teams. Viously, obviously bears are one of those teams.
“He’s a good friend of mine and I have nothing but respect for him as a player and as a leader and wherever he ends up, he will make this team a super rival,” Gipson said. “I can tell you.”
Assuming Gipson signs an extension this offseason, perhaps he could help recruit Watson to the Bears.