Some of those who have argued that Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler should have skipped voluntary workouts for a trip to the White House have pointed to the fact that the player’s new boss would have had no problem with Osweiler taking the day off.
“It’s obviously a decision that he made,” Texans coach Bill O’Brien told reporters on Monday. “It’s a voluntary camp, so those decisions are up to the players. I didn’t really have a thought one way or the other. I just know that the approach that we take during this period of time when it’s voluntary is we are ready to coach the guys that are here, do you know what I mean? We don’t try to lose any sleep over somebody that won’t be here because it’s voluntary. That’s the way we approach it with any player.”
Yes, that’s what O’Brien said -- because that’s what he has to say. The rules prohibit coaches from saying or doing anything that suggests voluntary workouts are anything but optional. That includes not calling out players who skip, and not praising those who attend.
So, officially, O’Brien wouldn’t have cared if Osweiler didn’t show. Unofficially, O’Brien privately may have wondered how many more millions in guaranteed money the Texans should have given to their new quarterback to ensure that he would be “all in” with his new team, new offense, and new surroundings.