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After upsetting his superstar quarterback, Texans owner Cal McNair has vowed to do things differently when deciding who will be the team’s next head coach. In other words, he’s going to do what he told Deshaun Watson he would do before hiring a CEO: involve him.
“We want him to be in the loop and be part of this process,” McNair said Friday, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
Failure to do so before the hiring of general manager Nick Caserio last week alienated the QB, according to NFL network insider Ian Rapoport, and left McNair unable to get in touch with his best player.
McNair said he and Watson were back on texting terms but would not disclose what they discussed.
“Deshaun and I have logged in via text message since returning from vacation,” McNair said. “It’s no secret that he’s disappointed with the (lack of) communication during the hiring process.”
Watson first took to Twitter to express his frustration, writing “some things never change” shortly after the Caserio news broke. As the post was subsequently deleted, commercial speculation surrounding an “extremely unhappy” Watson caught fire.
There is no indication that Houston actually entertains that thought, and McNair’s latest comments don’t suggest that either.
“I’ve watched Deshaun since he played Clemson,” he says. “I believe he can win championships here. We believe in him. He’s a great person and a Texan. He’s our quarterback.”
Just four months ago, the 25-year-old agreed to a lucrative four-year extension. Since then, Bill O’Brien has been fired as a coach and general manager, as the influence of football operations EVP Jack Easterby within the organization has grown.
Tensions appear to have reached a tipping point last week, with Texans great Andre Johnson calling Easterby by name and McNair indirectly on social media, while expressing his support for Watson. McNair defended his top executive on Friday, noting that he did not plan to fire Easterby and was unaware of his possible resignation.
“Jack’s review is really unwarranted,” McNair said. “Jack was placed in that role that the organization needed for me. If any missteps were made during this process, we will have them in our building. Jack (will return) to the role he was brought in here and in. what he grew up after going there. “
That would be the executive vice president of team development. Per McNair, Caserio leads the search for a new coach. He added that Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, someone Watson allegedly claimed, was not originally a candidate because McNair was waiting on Caserio’s roster.
The Texans have since asked to interview Bieniemy, but with the Chiefs no longer saying goodbye, league rules prevent Houston from speaking to the coveted coordinator until the end of Kansas City’s season. This, of course, could take weeks.
In the meantime, it looks like the Texans still have some work to do with Watson, who delivered another cryptic post on Twitter Friday afternoon after being inactive recently.
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