It’s not uncommon for people to organize marches on Martin Luther King Day, but the kind of march a group of Texans fans proposed on Monday is something highly irregular.
On Sunday night, a tweet surfaced asking Texans fans to march to the team’s stadium in support of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson has been at odds with management since the team promised to include him in the decision-making process for a new general manager and then neglected to follow his advice.
However, once Watson got word of the event, he pleaded with fans to not attend the march due to the risks of contracting the coronavirus.
“I’m hearing there is a march planned on my behalf in Houston today,” Watson tweeted. “Although I am humbled I ask that whoever is organizing the march cancel for the sake of public safety. Covid is spreading at a high rate & I don’t want any fans to unnecessarily expose themselves to infection.”
According to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, the fans who had assembled for the march disbursed at Watson’s request.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that the Texans have had “internal discussions” about possibly trading Watson.