The Houston Texans are doing some house cleaning coming out of their bye week. The club has parted ways with executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby, as confirmed by CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.
"I met with executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby and we have mutually agreed to part ways," Texans chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement released Monday. "For the remainder of the season, effectively immediately, his responsibilities will be absorbed by our Football Operations staff. We acknowledge Jack's positive contributions and wish him and his family the best in the future."
The franchise hired Easterby back in 2019 and had grown to have a major voice within the organization, so this is a significant shakeup of the Texans masthead. That said, it does seem like that voice was diminishing under this new regime. Jones reports that head coach Lovie Smith and GM Nick Caserio had frozen Easterby out dating back to the offseason. Because he was sidelined by those top football decision-makers, Easterby and owner Cal McNair agreed to part ways.
Caserio was hired by the Texans in January of 2021 to be the team's next general manager. He'd spent the previous 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, which is where the connection between him and Easterby -- who arrived in Foxborough in 2013 and stayed through 2018 -- originated.
With the Patriots, Easterby wore multiple hats within the organization under Bill Belichick, including the team chaplain. On top of his work as team chaplain, Easterby grew to be a part of Belichick's inner circle and was a trusted confidant that would work in a variety of roles that seemed to stretch beyond his job title. Easterby was also part of that final run of championships with the Patriots, who won Super Bowl XLIX, LI, and LIII while he was with the team.
Before jumping on with New England, Easterby was the team chaplain for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2011-2012.
