It's exceedingly rare in the NFL that any general manager gets a third opportunity to run a team, but former Browns and Chiefs GM John Dorsey may have a chance to defy the odds.
League sources said that headhunter Jed Hughes, who twice previously conducted GM searches in which Dorsey prevailed, remains very high on the longtime personnel executive, and is advocating for his consideration for the opening in Houston in which Hughes' firm is overseeing. The Texans search is puzzling to many around the league, with an owner, Cal McNair, who has never had to make a hire of this magnitude before and much speculation about the role that director of football operations Jack Easterby will play in the hire, along with search firm Korn Ferry, run by Hughes.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation said that despite Dorsey's short stay in Cleveland, where the hiring of novice coach Freddie Kitchens in 2019 resulted in a reboot after one season, Hughes continues to be a supporter of his. The Browns are quite possibly headed to the playoffs with a roster that Dorsey largely constructed, and Dorsey also has ties to Chiefs assistant coach Eric Bieniemy; Bieniemy will almost certainly have the opportunity to interview with multiple teams again this January and sources said that Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is a big proponent of Bieniemy (he coaches Watson's friend, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes).
While there are concerns about McNair's relative inexperience and the structure of the organization and Houston's dearth of draft picks, Watson is an elite quarterback having the best season of his career and his presence alone makes the job intriguing. Several players acquired by or drafted by Dorsey are fueling the Browns' 8-3 start, including running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, while the verdict is still out on former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield.
Dorsey's roots are under longtime Packers executive Ron Wolf, whose lineage tends to be in demand for front office openings, and several people with knowledge of the situation in Houston affirmed his name is in the mix with the Texans and indicated Hughes ongoing affinity for his work.
