49ers rumors: Could Seahawks try landing Deshaun Watson now?

The 49ers don’t have to worry about facing Russell Wilson twice a year any longer, but the Seahawks may be in the hunt for Texans QB Deshaun Watson now.

San Francisco 49ers fans everywhere were overjoyed with Tuesday’s news the Seattle Seahawks were trading away perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

No longer will the Niners have to face Wilson, a quarterback who went 17-4 over his career against San Francisco, twice a year. It marks the end of an era, too, one which was almost entirely dominated by the 49ers’ NFC West rivals to the north.

Denver gave up a significant chunk of change to acquire Wilson, of course, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and three players, which includes up-and-coming tight end Noah Fant and quarterback Drew Lock.

Focusing on that latter name for a second, the quarterback Denver elected to replace with Teddy Bridgewater last offseason, is it truly feasible to see Seattle content on starting Lock in 2022 and potentially beyond?

No. Absolutely not. It’s what Adam Jude of the Seattle Times wrote in response to the Wilson deal:

"Perhaps there is still elite potential in Lock, and maybe the Seahawks are the team that can, uh, un-Lock it.But there is no way, knowing for more than a year now that trading Wilson was a real possibility, that Pete Carroll and John Schneider had targeted Drew Lock as Wilson’s heir apparent.They couldn’t possibly settle for Lock as their starting QB in 2022."

Head coach Pete Carroll, 70 years old, probably doesn’t want to stick around for what could be a lengthy post-Wilson rebuild. No, Carroll would want to win now.

And with the ammunition the Seahawks received from Denver, they might not be done making splash moves.

Could 49ers be facing a Seahawks team led by Deshaun Watson?

Not long after Niners fans were celebrating news of the Wilson trade, the Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman brought everyone down to earth a little bit:

Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson, who didn’t play for the Houston Texans after a clash with the team’s front office and in the wake of off-field allegations of sexual misconduct, might see his legal matters clean up in the very near future.

All signs are pointing to Houston ushering in a completely new era without Watson in the fold, and he could effectively be the best remaining quarterback on the market, certainly in terms of ability.

Watson is also 26 years old, significantly younger than Wilson. And with the Texans looking to capitalize on the biggest return package possible, Seattle certainly would be in a position to offer up a lucrative trade for him.

It’s something former Seahawks and 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman noted on his podcast, too:

“They’re setting themselves up to be in the sweepstakes for Deshaun Watson,” Sherman said.

Would Deshaun Watson in Seattle be bad news for 49ers?

Well, it’s not ideal. But, as Sherman pointed out, it would be silly for Niners fans to think the Hawks are content with Lock as their long-term option.

Watson, who led the NFL in passing two seasons ago, would easily be going to a much more favorable situation, boasting two elite-level wide receivers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, assuming the Seahawks retain both now amid what’s looking to be a rebuild. And while Seattle’s offensive line remains suspect, it wouldn’t be anything worse than what Watson had to endure when he last suited up for the Texans.

Read More: 49ers watching ‘end of an era’ with Russell Wilson, Seahawks

Either way, San Francisco would much prefer if Watson winds up being dealt somewhere else, preferably an AFC team or, at the very least, somewhere else other than the NFC West.

Still, Seattle does have the ammunition to go after Watson in a big way, which would surely prevent a massive tipping away of power from the Seahawks and into the 49ers’ favor.

Niners fans can only hope such a deal won’t occur.