Ian Rapoport: DeShaun Watson has only waived his no-trade clause for Dolphins

10/27 update: Watson has only waived his no-trade clause for the Dolphins, so the Panthers or Eagles are not expected to be in on the trade talks for the Texans quarterback.

The drumbeat for a DeShaun Watson trade continues to grow louder. A new report has a trade as having a “good chance” of taking place, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Rapoport believes the NFL has indicated they will not place Watson on the NFL’s exempt list unless he is charged with a “violent crime or felony” for the multiple sexual assault allegations he is under investigation for.

All indications point to Watson being able to play if he is traded. Rapoport reiterates that the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers are currently in talks with the Texans, but he added the Philadelphia Eagles into the mix. The Panthers are in desperate need for a quarterback with Sam Darnold playing poorly, while the Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has let it be known he’d like to trade for Watson. And the Eagles aren’t sold on Jalen Hurts after starting the season 2-5.

How a trade for a player currently being investigated for sexual assault would go over with a fan base is another question, as Watson would automatically become the face of the franchise wherever he goes. There is little doubt that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and worth a king’s ransom to any team on the field, but there is of course much more to consider in this situation.