NFL rumors: Deshaun Watson set to miss next two seasons due to ongoing legal battles

One of the biggest stories of the offseason has been Deshaun Watson's legal challenges. The young quarterback is currently battling the 22 civil lawsuits of sexual misconduct filed against him earlier this year. Deshaun Watson's attorney, Rusty Hardin, recently said that Watson has not been approached by the NFL yet, according to local media.

Deshaun Watson's trial moving slowly

Deshaun Watson isn't expected to give his deposition until February 2022. The trial could be held a few months after his deposition.

Fox Sports Radio host Ben Maller said on his show that he expects this development to "push the trial through parts of July 2022, which is when training camp opens." If this is indeed the case, Deshaun Watson could miss games until 2023. He would still need to serve legal punishment, if any, and then face a looming suspension from the NFL.

The Drew Lock, Teddy Bridgewater quarterback competition is going well so far, but the vague (albeit slim) possibility of a trade for Aaron Rodgers or Deshaun Watson still looms. https://t.co/4RxZVCrFId

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 17, 2021

If found guilty, many expect NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to hand him a full-season suspension. Until the trial is over, most fans expect Deshaun Watson to be put on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List. While he isn't on the list at the moment, there's a chance he's put on that list by the start of training camp in late July.

In all, Deshaun Watson will have to face multiple seasons of litigation, processing, and waiting due to a slow-moving court system and pending retribution from the NFL.

All of this unraveled around the same time that Deshaun Watson made it known he wanted out of Houston. Watson recently made it clear that he was interested in landing with the Denver Broncos. If the Broncos are considering trading for him, they will need some clarity on his situation, at least for the next two seasons.

Deshaun Watson's 2020-2021 experience

Last season, Deshaun Watson threw for 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also threw for 4,823 yards and completed over 70 percent of his passes. However, the Houston Texans finished 4-12 in 2020. During the season, the Texans fired Bill O'Brien shortly after promoting him to general manager and head coach.

Bill O'Brien

The Houston Texans had Romeo Crennel take over as the interim head coach for the rest of the season.

JJ Watt famously apologized to Deshaun Watson for "wasting his season," according to CBS Sports, a line that sums up the Texans' season. Put simply, Deshaun Watson's rough patch in the NFL started a while ago and there appears to be little to no light at the end of the tunnel.