It appears Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is considering a return to the NFL.
According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, O'Brien is one of the top candidates for the Houston Texans coaching job, and both sides have agreed to conduct an interview following Christmas. There is no date on when the agreed upon meeting will take place.
O'Brien took over at Penn State before the 2012 season and before the NCAA announced penalties against the school following the Jerry Sandusky scandal. He had spent the previous five seasons on the New England Patriots coaching staff.
Should O'Brien ultimately decide to leave Penn State and return to the NFL, he won't come cheap. Aside from the salary O'Brien would receive his current contract at Penn State includes a buyout of $6.5 million.
And while a buyout of that size would no doubt keep other colleges from sniffing around O'Brien, an NFL team wouldn't have nearly as much trouble paying it.
