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The NFL is waiting for Deshaun Watson to decide on his future with bated breath. After more than a year of struggle and patience, fans now might be able to mark their calendars for the quarterback's decision. According to a Tweet posted by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network on March 17th, multiple signs point to Monday as the final day of the Deshaun Watson saga.
Of course, the NFL could still be looming with a suspension with the quarterback's name on it, but the majority of the uncertainty could be over early next week. According to Wilson, the quarterback is expected to take the next few days to contemplate his decision.
The quarterback still has a no-trade clause in place, so he ultimately decides where he goes. The Atlanta Falcons may have effectively set Tuesday as a hard stop, forcing the quarterback to choose by the end of the day Monday if he wants a choice.
Why Tuesday serves as the deadline for Deshaun Watson
It is down to the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints as to who will land the quarterback. The Falcons are still paying Matt Ryan a lot of money, and his next payment was due on Friday. Instead, the team pushed it to Tuesday, creating a deadline for Watson to make a choice.
If the Falcons are willing to pay Ryan the $7.5 million roster bonus, they will be conceding that he will be their starter in 2022. That said, a sect of people might see the team having the incentive to give Ryan the money and still wait patiently for the Texans quarterback, based on the value the younger quarterback provides.
It has been well-circulated that the Falcons have informed Matt Ryan that they are pursuing Watson. Therefore, he's prepared for any news that might break in the coming days. At 36 years old, Ryan is a decade older than Watson (26). Conventional wisdom says that Ryan's days are numbered in the NFL, and the end will be here sooner than it seems.
Of course, that isn't implying he's close to getting kicked out of the league. Instead, he's close to the age of retirement. Only a few quarterbacks have played past the age of 40. Give or take a few years, but 40 is roughly the median age of retirement in the NFL for quarterbacks of franchise-caliber.
According to Pro Football Reference, Ryan's last winning season as a starter was in 2017, further throwing fuel on the fire.
