Like Washington coach Jay Gruden, Texans coach Bill O’Brien had to spend time during his post-game press conference addressing a report regarding one of his highest-profile players. Unlike Gruden, O’Brien didn’t lash out at the report that the Texans are getting frustrated with rookie linebacker Jadeveon Clowney.
“I don’t know anything about those reports, I just know what I see,” O’Brien told reporters after the 31-21 loss to Philadelphia. “I see a rookie player that is injured and is trying to come back from injury and he had a little setback this week with the flu and hopefully he’ll be back ready for Cleveland. He’s had a couple injuries here and a concussion, some of that is bad luck. He got knocked in the head in the Denver training camp, he got a sports hernia injury, he’s got a knee [issue], that’s what I think it is. I think the world of Jadeveon Clowney. I don’t think there’s anyone here that’s frustrated with [him]. He and I speak every day, multiple times per day, text messages, phone calls, just like I do with all the rookies, and hopefully he’ll be ready to go. It’s a big adjustment, it’s a whole lot different playing in this league than it is in college, and it’s an adjustment for all those guys. He’s working hard to get over the hump and get back on the field.”
So maybe there’s frustration not directed at Clowney but at the circumstances generally. Or maybe he’s not making that “big adjustment” the way some had hoped.
One adjustment that some outside the team believe he should make is to not post on social media during games. Clowney apparently was doing that on Sunday; our pal Nick Wright of 610 SportsRadio in Houston pointed it out on Twitter.
“I’ll have to see that,” O’Brien said. “I don’t know that yet. You know, injured players during the game depends on who they are. Brian Cushing, because of his years of experience, we had him on the sideline today, but rookies basically, they have the choice of going to the press box or staying in the locker room, so that’s where it’s at there, but we’ll have to see what that is. You know, I don’t know anything about that.”
If/when O’Brien does, it’ll be interesting to see what he says and does. Then again, we may never know what he says and/or does, because he may say it and/or do it privately with Clowney.