The Houston Texans made a move on Monday to fire head coach Bill O’Brien following an 0-4 start to the season. Days later, reports surfaced that his final weeks in Houston were very contentious. He reportedly got in arguments with members of the coaching staff and star player JJ Watt.
According to radio host John Granato, Watt and O’Brien had a heated exchange on the practice field the week of the Steelers game. The exact details of the exchange are unknown, but Watt reportedly called out the O’Brien for his coaching ability. A source told Granato that this exchange prompted a “players’ revolt” that ultimately led to O’Brien’s firing.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Granato is not the only person citing league sources while discussing this reported argument. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle also said that “Bill O’Brien got into an argument with defensive end J.J. Watt and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver on the practice field along with verbal altercations with other staff members during his final weeks as coach-general manager before being fired.”
Watt and other members of the team met with the media on Wednesday and faced questions about the former head coach. He did not address the reported arguments or the “players’ revolt.” Instead, Watt said that he bears no ill will toward O’Brien while also acknowledging that the media members wanted him to “go down a road” with the line of questioning.
“I appreciate what Bill did here,” Watt said,” per NFL Media’s James Palmer. “I’m very thankful for what Bill did. You’re trying to get me to go down a road here. We won four division titles in six years. The one thing I will always say about Bill O’Brien is that he always stood up for his players. I’ve been in meetings with him and things like that. Off the field he certainly he tried to do whatever possible to support his players and give his players the absolute best support. And I truly believe that he always did what he believed was best for this football team.
“So I don’t have ill will. I do look forward to a fresher start,” Watt continued. “I do think that there’s an energy and excitement and we’re looking forward to going out and getting a win and getting going 1-0. That’s our goal.” Watt also told reporters that the team has the type of talent, especially at quarterback, where they can’t be 0-4.
