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Quarterback Deshaun Watson's departure from the Houston Texans is inching closer as the team continues to listen to offers from the former franchise cornerstone.
Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the quarterback has already waived his no-trade clause for the Miami Dolphins and the two teams are negotiating terms for a potential trade.
The question remains whether Watson will be allowed to play this season. The quarterback has been accused of sexual misconduct by over 20 women and is set to face trial early next year.
Will Deshaun Watson be eligible to play if he's traded?
NFL won't suspend Deshaun Waston if he's traded
The assumption so far has been that the NFL would have stepped in and suspended Watson or placed him on the Commissioner's Exempt List had the Texans decided to play him this season.
Teams looking to acquire the quarterback have been wary of that possibility. Per Rapoport, the league will not suspend Watson and he'll be eligible to play for his new team if he's traded.
Speaking of Watson's potential suspension, Rapoport said:
"If a team does trade for Deshaun Watson, who is in good shape and ready to play right now, the indications from the NFL is that he would not be placed on the Commisioner's Exempt List because that is essentially if you are charged with a violent crime or a felony. That does not appear right now to apply to Deshaun Watson. So the belief is he'll be eligible to play immediately upon trade."
Teams interested in acquiring Watson have done their due diligence in this regard, which explains why trade talks surrounding the quarterback have heated up in the past few days.
Deshaun Watson Trade News: Dolphins reportedly frontrunners
As mentioned above, Watson has already waived the no-trade clause in his contract for the Miami Dolphins, which is reportedly his preferred destination.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores reiterated during his media availability that Tua Tagovailoa is the team's starting quarterback.
Flores might just be protecting Tagovailoa as it's unlikely the Dolphins will trade for Watson and subsequently trade Tua before their Week 8 clash against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
As things stand, Watson will likely be a Dolphin before the trade deadline on November 2nd and will be eligible to play for the rest of the season.
