Bill O'Brien Reportedly Wanted to Cut Ryan Mallett, GM Rick Smith Vetoed Move

It has been an odd season for Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Mallett, and the most recent news out of Houston tops it all.

Head coach Bill O'Brien apparently tried to cut Mallett last week prior to the team's 44-26 loss to the Miami Dolphins, but general manager Rick Smith vetoed the decision, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

Mallett had fallen out of favor with his head coach because of a pattern of unprofessional behavior. The quarterback, who was named the starter in Week 2 after an ineffective Brian Hoyer was benched, missed a day of training camp in August because he overslept, according to the Chronicle's John McClain. At the time, O'Brien didn't have much to say about that, per McClain.

“That’s between Ryan and I,” he said. “It’s just a personal issue for him.”

In his fourth start Oct. 8 against the Indianapolis Colts, Mallett left the game after suffering an injury, and when he tried to return after shaking it off, O'Brien told him to stay on the sideline in favor of Hoyer, who played well, but eventually threw an interception on the Texans' final drive in a 27-20 loss, per Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

In what appears to have been the final straw for O'Brien, Mallett missed the team's flight to Miami for Sunday's game. According to Smith, Mallett said he was stuck in traffic. After the incident, O'Brien apparently tried to cut ties with Mallett, but the general manager shot it down.

There was no shortage of opinions on the situation across the Internet.

Fox Sports' Jason McIntyre felt this was a bad sign for O'Brien:

Sporting News had some fun at Mallett's expense via its Twitter account:

McClain reported Monday afternoon that O'Brien and Rick Smith were discussing what would be best for the quarterback and team. On Tuesday, McClain reported the Texans did decide to part ways with Mallett.

This situation is another chapter in a disappointing season for the Texans. A team that many thought would have one of the best defenses in the league is yielding 28.4 points per game and has a quarterback situation that every team would like to avoid.