San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans has been strongly linked to the Houston Texans head coaching job, but the organization started the process unsure if he would even be interested in the position.
In 2016, Ryans sued the Texans, the NFL, and local authorities for $10 million, claiming that the state of the NRG Stadium field contributed to an Achilles injury that prematurely cut his career short. Ryans suffered the injury in 2014 while playing against the Texans as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, and only played one more season after that.
This will not be a hindrance to either the Texans or Ryans, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The Texans were initially unsure if Ryans would be interested in coaching the team in light of the lawsuit, but this was not the case.
Jones notes that, according to court records, Ryans settled the lawsuit in 2021, by which point the NFL and the Texans had been dropped as defendants.
Ryans played six seasons for the Texans before the injury, so he has plenty of history with the organization that does not involve litigation. He seems to be the leading candidate for the job, and is expected to receive a second interview this coming week.
