HOUSTON – Former Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson tweeted his thoughts on the current situation surrounding full-back Deshaun Watson’s displeasure with the team, saying: “If I [Watson], I will stand my man. ‘
“The Texans organization is known for wasting players’ careers,” the former All-Pro receiver added. “Since Jack Easterby walked into the building, nothing good happened in / for the organization, and for some reason no one seems to be able to see what’s going on. Pathetic !!!”
The wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded in March by Bill O’Brien, former head coach and general manager of Texas, also tweeted, “When Dre speaks, listen.”
Johnson, the Texans’ franchise leader in receiving, receiving yards and touchdowns, played for Houston from 2003 to ’14. His last season was O’Brien’s first with the team. After Johnson retired, he transitioned to a role on the Texans’ coaching staff under O’Brien. In August, Johnson left the Texans coaching staff, but he is still a Texas ambassador. Johnson and Easterby have been overlapping with the organization for more than a year.
Easterby, the executive vice president of soccer operations in Texas, was appointed in 2019 by O’Brien and team chairman and CEO Cal McNair. After McNair fired O’Brien in October, he appointed Romeo Crennel as the team’s interim head coach and gave Easterby the responsibility. about the personnel department.
McNair initially said that Easterby would not be involved in the appointment of the Texans’ next general manager, Nick Caserio, but he did ask for Easterby’s feedback “about Nick as leader” during the decision-making process.
“Jack and I had a very special relationship,” Caserio said at his introductory news conference. “It stretches over a number of years. … I have an awful lot of respect and admiration. Any staff decisions we will make will take us as a group, but ultimately it is a responsibility that Cal instilled in me. to handle the personnel side of the football operations, so it is the expectation to move forward.
“Jack will play a role and we will certainly work on a number of things together. But as far as football decisions are concerned, it will ultimately be my decision in collaboration with the head coach as soon as we get to the point, too.”
On the day the Texans announced they had hired Caserio, there were several media reports that Watson was unhappy with the hiring process. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watson found out on social media that the Texans were planning to hire Caserio. Although there have been several reports of his unhappiness, Watson’s lone reaction to hiring the general manager comes in the form of a tweet that has since been removed, stating: ‘some things never change …’
On Friday, McNair said he reached out to Watson, but that he had not heard from the quarterback while on vacation.