Texans Rumors: Jack Easterby Still 'Very Much Involved' in Football Decisions

The Houston Texans might have hired Nick Caserio as their general manager, but executive vice president of football operations and former interim GM Jack Easterby is still "very much involved" in football decisions with the organization, according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. 

Easterby has been linked to the issues within the organization that have disgruntled quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has reportedly requested a trade out of Houston. But reports surfaced Thursday that Easterby has disrupted much of the organization. 

"The guys I trust, including a guy big in Houston, he wants to kill [Easterby]," a league source told Matt Verderame of FanSided. "He goes 'this guy is a f--king idiot. He's got the owner's ear and he's going to ruin the whole organization.'"

Part of the resentment for Easterby stems from his employment history. He rose to the top of the ranks of the Texans organization despite having no involvement in football operations upon joining the Texans in 2019 from the New England Patriots, where he worked as a chaplain and character coach. 

When he arrived in Houston, he was named the team's executive vice president of team development. 

The Texans have made some questionable decisions during Easterby's tenure with the team, including trading DeAndre Hopkins, and it culminated this year as the team finished 4-12. But as the Texans cleared house, firing head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien in October, Easterby remained.

While some people told Sports Illustrated's Jenny Vrentas and Greg Bishop that Easterby was "a guiding force in their lives," many within the Texans organization said the 37-year-old was "an authority figure whose leadership style sows distrust and division, at times flouting rules and straining relationships inside the building."

That lack of trust isn't expected to end given Caserio's hire and the relationship he has with Easterby. The longtime Patriots executive said in his introductory press conference that football decisions "will ultimately" be his (h/t Nicole Yang of the Boston Globe). 

But given Zierlein's report, it doesn't seem like that's the case, which could damage the Texans and Caserio's reputation before this season even concludes.