Report: Split between Bill O’Brien, Texans is ‘imminent’

Texans head coach Bill O’Brien has had some bad luck this season after leading his team to AFC South titles the previous two years, and the disappointing year may be his last in Houston.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that O’Brien has a “complicated” relationship with Texans general manager Rick Smith. With O’Brien entering the final year of his contract in 2018, multiple sources told La Canfora that a split between O’Brien and the team is “imminent.”

This may not be a situation where O’Brien is fired, as there are expected to be numerous head coaching vacancies across the NFL and O’Brien knows he would be a top candidate for many of them. The former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach would certainly enjoy continuing to develop Deshaun Watson, but La Canfora reports that there have been “years of friction” between Houston’s coaching staff and front office in recent years.

Watson recently made his feelings about O’Brien clear, and the Texans’ 4-9 record this season is more a product of the quarterback tearing his ACL than anything else. That doesn’t mean Houston wants to keep the head coach around, and the desire to part ways could be mutual.