The Texans’ coaching decision is not expected to change Deshaun Watson’s thinking, as the quarterback is expected to still want out of Houston, regardless of who the head coach is, sources told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.
The Texans are expected to request second interviews with Buffalo Bills defense coordinator Leslie Frazier and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after Sunday’s AFC championship, sources told ESPN.
Frazier has privately told some people that he believes he has a legitimate chance of winning the job of the Texans, and has tried to put together a coaching team in case he does. Bieniemy had a strong staff, but some of his candidates began to accept other positions.
But Watson is upset with the Texans over, among other things, the process they used to appoint general manager Nick Caserio, sources told ESPN, leading to widespread speculation that Houston could trade this star-studded season in season or before the actual possibility would arise. he could decide to withhold his services and not report.
A source told ESPN’s Sarah Barshop last week that the Texans had internal discussions about possible trading partners and what their quarterback position would look like in the future without Watson.
Watson has implicated his unhappiness with several tweets since Caserio’s hiring, although sources told ESPN that these feelings are not specifically directed at the former New England Patriots CEO. Watson found out on social media, not from the team, that the Texans had hired Caserio, sources told ESPN.
The quarterback has a no-trade clause in his $ 156 million five-year deal with the Texans, which will give Watson some control over where he trades, because if that’s not the destination he wants, he could he refuses to report.
Frazier reportedly had a strong interview with the Texans and has a previous coaching experience of his time with the Minnesota Vikings. Bieniemy is considered a guard coach in many circles, although he has recently been transferred by several teams.
As the search for Houston’s head coach gets underway, the winning coordinator of Sunday’s game may be the loser in the Texans’ search, as they will have to wait to appoint him. The Texans can act faster with the losing team coordinator.
This scenario played a key role in the hiring of Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend over Brian Daboll, the Bills coordinator. After Staley’s Rams were out of the playoffs, the Chargers were unwilling to wait for Daboll and appointed Staley.
Other candidates the Texans have interviewed include quarterback Josh McCown, former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, Colts defense coordinator Matt Eberflus and Ravens assistant head coach David Culley. Some in the league believe that Caldwell also has the most important consideration for the Texans’ head coaching position.