There are always some surprise coaching movements in the NFL once the end of the year rolls around. Gary Kubiak likely stepping down in Denver certainly qualifies, but there could be an even more surprising change on hand in Houston.
According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Bill O'Brien and the Texans aren't guaranteed to stick together following 2016, even though the Texans are back in the playoffs for the second straight year, despite a 24-17 loss to the Titans on Sunday.
Surprise opening could be Texans, if they lose early in playoffs I can see O'Brien/team agreeing to part ways -- good candidate on market
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) January 1, 2017
O'Brien's won nine games in all three of his seasons with Houston, despite being hamstrung by the quarterback position. After a bad loss to the Chiefs in the playoffs last year, the Texans inked Brock Osweiler to a hefty contract.
The presumption around the league is it was an ownership-driven signing, but O'Brien still bears some of the blame for Osweiler struggling whether or not he actually likes Osweiler as a player.
Given the nature of the contract handed to Osweiler, he's locked in as a member of the Texans for 2017. If Houston loses again in the first round of the playoffs, it's possible both sides could be interested in making a change.
And if that became the case, Glazer is correct that O'Brien would become a coach who generates plenty of interest from multiple teams given his success despite the quarterback situation in Houston.
