Houston Texans chairman Cal McNair was behind the move to name coach Bill O’Brien general manager and elevate Jack Easterby to executive vice president of football operations.
According to a statement from the team, McNair wanted to clarify the roles between O’Brien and Easterby to accurately reflect the way the organization had been operating since the firing of Brian Gaine as general manager on June 7, 2019.
“Preparations are underway for the 2020 season and I thought it was important to update titles, roles and responsibilities for Bill O’Brien and Jack Easterby so they more accurately reflect the way we have been operating for the past eight months,” McNair said. “I was encouraged by the progress that our team made on the field this year which was due in part to our new structure, operating approach and the leaders within our football operations group.”
McNair mentioned that he was proud of the “many thrilling victories at home,” the Texans provided for their fans as part of a 10-6 record, second consecutive AFC South title, and a 22-19 overtime wild-card win against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium.
“Our fans deserve that, but now it is time for the organization to get back to work toward our pursuit of a world championship for the city of Houston,” said McNair.
The Texans may have their roles clarified in the front office, but they still have plenty of work to do in the offseason. While the club can now negotiate with two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson on a contract extension, they may have to clear up salary cap space as they are projected to have $55.2 million in cap space, the ninth-most in the NFL. The club also has to determine how to get younger and better without a first-round pick, a challenge that faces the Texans for the next two drafts.