HOUSTON – Former Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson tweeted about the current situation surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson’s displeasure with the team, saying, “If I’m [Watson]”I will stand firm.”
“The Texan organization is known for losing players’ careers,” added the old All-Pro receiver. “Since Jack Easterby entered the building nothing good has happened to the organization and for some reason someone can’t see what’s going on. Pathetic !!!”
Great receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded by former Texans coach and general manager Bill O’Brien in March, has also tweeted, “When you speak Dre listen.”
Johnson, the leader of the jeans franchise in receptions, receiver and touchdowns, played in Houston from 2003 to ’14. His last season was O’Brien’s first with the team. After Johnson retired, he moved on to a role with the jeans coaching staff under O’Brien. In August, Johnson left the jeans coaching staff, but continued as the jeans ambassador. Johnson and Easterby agreed with the organization for more than a year.
Easterby, executive vice president of jeans football operations, was hired by O’Brien and team president and general manager Cal McNair in 2019. After McNair fired O’Brien in October, he named Romeo Crennel as the team’s interim head coach and gave Easterby responsibility in the personnel department.
McNair initially said Easterby would not be involved in the hiring process for the next jeans general manager, Nick Caserio, but said he did ask for Easterby’s comments “about Nick as a leader” during the decision-making process.
“Jack and I have had a very special relationship,” Caserio said at his introductory press conference. “It goes back several years … I have a lot of respect and admiration. Any personal decision that will be made will be taken as a group, but ultimately this is a responsibility that Cal has instilled in me, is to deal with the staff of football operations, so this is the expectation to move forward.
“Jack will have a role and we will work together on certain things for sure. But when it comes to decisions about football, those will be my decision in conjunction with the head coach once we get to that point, too.”
The day the Texans announced that they had hired Caserio, there were several reports that Watson was not satisfied with the hiring process. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watson discovered on social media that the Texans intended to hire Caserio. While there have been several reports of his unhappiness, Watson’s only reaction to the hiring of a general manager came in the form of a deleted tweet since then stating that “some things never change … “
On Friday, McNair said he had contacted Watson but had not heard from the quarterback while on vacation.