North Fulton Today

The Atlanta Falcons emerged as a possible team that could land former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, according to a recent report by ESPN.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapport tweeted Wednesday, sharing a video discussing the timeline for Watson’s trade. He said Watson had yet to meet with the Falcons, but after meeting with all teams he would eventually waive his no-trade clause to the team or teams of his choice to work out the best deal possible.

“Deshaun Watson will meet with the #Falcons today, so let's take a look at what's next," Rapport wrote in his tweet.

Not long after that meeting, the Cleveland Browns met with the star signal caller and traded for him Friday, according to a report on the NFL website. The Browns gave up three consecutive first-round draft picks, as well as a 2023 third rounder and a 2024 fourth rounder to complete the deal.

The Falcon’s push for Watson came as the team recently restructured veteran quarterback Matt Ryan’s contract, reducing his salary cap hit this season by more than $12 million, ESPN reported. Though the team has remained committed to Ryan, team owner Arthur Blank has said that he is focused on “resetting the franchise’s future.”

“All options are open, but it's not going to be easy," a Falcons source told ESPN.

Landing one of the premiere quarterbacks in the NFL was not an easy feat either as multiple teams were reportedly interested in Watson including the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, according to the NFL report.

One source told ESPN that the Falcons were a “long shot” to land the former Texans’ star quarterback, according to ESPN. Now, we may never know just how close Watson came to playing for the Falcons.

Watson and the Browns have agreed on a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, the NFL reported.

The trade comes as Watson faces potential civil suits stemming from 22 claims of alleged sexual assault, though a grand jury in Texas recently declined to pursue criminal charges against Watson, ESPN reported.