Posted on September 2, 2019, by Travis Pulver
Houston Texans head coach Bill O’ Brien was already expected to be on the proverbial ‘hot seat’ entering the 2019 season. The Texans have been a good team under his watch. But they can’t seem to make the move from ‘good’ to ‘great.’ So, while his seat is ‘warm,’ there are other coaches with hotter seats.
However, with the moves the team made over the weekend, that may have changed. O’Brien may have turned himself into the guy most likely to be fired first.
The odds on who is expected to be the first fired, according to BetOnline.ag, are as follows:
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- Jay Gruden +450
- Pat Shurmur +700
- Doug Marrone +900
- Bill O’Brien, Dan Quinn +1200
- Matt Patricia, Ron Rivera +1600
- Adam Gase, Jason Garrett, Sean McDermott +1800
- Kliff Kingsbury +2000
- Mike Vrabel +2200
- Brian Flores, Freddie Kitchens, Matt LaFleur, Mike Tomlin +2500
- Anthony Lynn, Mike Zimmer +2800
- Kyle Shanahan, Sean Payton, Vic Fangio +3300
- Jon Gruden +4000
- Bruce Arians, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Zac Taylor +5000
- Frank Reich, Matt Nagy +6600
- Andy Reid, Doug Pederson, Sean McVay +10000
- Bill Belichick +25000
It wouldn’t be surprising if O’Brien’s odds were to shorten a little after the slew of trades the Texans executed over the weekend.
First, there was the trade that sent former No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks for a third-round pick and two guys that may provide the defense with a little depth.
Then there was the trade with the Dolphins that sent two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and two players for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills. Tunsil will be a welcome addition to the offensive line. But there was no need for Stills, a guy whose politics put him at odds with the Dolphins owner and will likely do the same in Houston.
Houston did also get a fourth and sixth-round pick from the Dolphins, but the trade still heavily favors the Dolphins.
The Texans also acquired running back Carlos Hyde from the Kansas City Chiefs for guard Martinas Rankin. Hyde was not expected to make the cut in Kansas City, making this a very questionable trade. But, then again, the Texans were probably going to cut Rankin.
From the outside looking in, the Texans appear to have given up quite a bit without getting much in return. Should the season end up being a failure, heads will certainly roll. However, if the Texans can win some games, take the division, and maybe a playoff game or two, then all may be forgiven.
In fairness, O’Brien shouldn’t get all of the blame if things don’t go well this season. However, he is believed to be the driving force behind the weekend’s activity. But since the Texans are using a ‘GM by committee’ approach, it is not all his fault.
As the head coach, though, he will be the first to go if the team does not do well this season.