Texans head coach David Culley is not revealing anything about his recent conversation with Deshaun Watson.
All he will say is Watson remains a Texan, and the team remains committed to the quarterback.
The question, still, is whether the Texans can salvage the relationship with Watson, who has requested a trade. Or, will they ultimately grant Watson his wish.
Culley told reporters Thursday afternoon there is no contingency plan for if the Texans don’t have Watson in 2021. He even doubled down on the idea when asked if Watson is committed to the team.
“It’s not a matter of me trying to change anybody’s mind,” Culley said. “Right now, we’re committed to him. He’s a Houston Texan and we’re going to move forward with that.
“I don’t know about him not wanting to be a Houston Texan but what I hear from the outside. I just know that he’s a Houston Texan. He’s our’s. We’re committed to him and we’re going to go with that.”
Watson has been unhappy with the franchise’s direction at least since the 2020 season ended with a 4-12 record. The Texans then hired general manager Nick Caserio without Watson’s knowledge, though the quarterback was under the impression he would have more input on the hire.
Since Culley’s hiring earlier this year, Watson has reiterated his desire to be traded, despite signing a four-year deal worth $156 million last September.
“I feel like with the commitment we’ve made to him, I feel like that same commitment will be there with us moving forward,” Culley said.
When asked how to create a vision for the team without knowing who the quarterback will be, Culley said that’s a bridge they will cross when they get to it.
“We’re not in that situation right now,” Culley said.”If that situation ever came up, we’d deal with that situation whenever we got to that point.”
So, the standoff continues. Who blinks first remains to be determined.