Report: Deshaun Watson advocated for Eric Bieniemy as head coach

Divisional Round - Houston Texans v Kansas City Chiefs
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And now we know why Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is telling teammates he may ask for a trade.

A flood of reports has emerged on Thursday night, as reported have chased the story teed up earlier today by our item raising the question of whether Watson wants out. It’s now clear that he does.

Albert Breer of SI.com supplies another reason for Watson’s consternation. Per Breer, Watson advocated for the Texans to hire Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Texans, however, became the only team with a vacancy to not even interview Bieniemy.

Breer explains that Mahomes “put in a strong word” for Bieniemy, which prompted Watson to push for Bieniemy. The Texans, who had said they’d consult with Watson, ignored Watson’s suggestion. And that undoubtedly has contributed to the consternation and frustration that Watson is currently feeling.

Although the Texans claim they won’t trade Watson, they may have no choice. Especially once they start getting offers that they may not be able to refuse. Now that the cat is out of the bag, it’s inevitable that new G.M. Nick Caserio’s phone will be ringing.

98 responses to “Report: Deshaun Watson advocated for Eric Bieniemy as head coach

  1. If you cannot beat them, join them. That is all Watson wanted. Watson could seamlessly slide in as QB2 for the Chiefs next year.

    Now that is exciting to think about!!

  2. I hope they do hire bienenemy. no reason to believe he will lead them anywhere. let your overrated qb pick his coach, then he can sink with him for 3 years.

  3. The Texans have the two smartest guys in the room though, at least that is what they will tell if you ask them. Not even interviewing Bieniemy just shows how far they went out their way to make sure their guy gets the job. Seems odd not to interview the best candidates and Then make a decision.

  4. Why do they have to consult with a spoiled entitled athlete in his 20s about coaching candidates? Wtf does Watson know about the candidates qualifications and what it takes to run a football team. Laughable.

  5. After 40 years of watching football, Ive come to this conclusion:

    To be a GM, you must have the gift of the gab.
    To be a successful GM, you have to know the game of football.

  6. Bienemy will be a total flop to whichever poor team takes him. He does nothing in KC but hold the coaches clipboard. Wise move Houston passing on that 3 year setback. Watson…you are a player…stick to your role.

  7. bienemy can have a great job! why on earth would he go to houston? no picks next draft and no cap room. literally any team out there that needs a head coach would be better for him ANY TEAM!!!!!!

  8. Why were the Texans supposed to take his request seriously? Because Mahomes likes him that qualifies him as a GM candidate? There’s nothing in his actual playing or coaching experience that would particularly qualify him for it so what else is there?

  9. So Caserio was a part of Bill’s staff and Patriots drafts have been lousy for years and that’s supposed to inspire confidence from Watson. McDaniels to Houston in the middle of the night in a couple of days.

  10. But why should Houston trade him?? The only way I see a deal going down is if it involves a quarterback and or a pick. Atlanta, The Jets and Dolphins would be my top 3 if I trade Watson away. For the Falcons I’d ask for the 3rd pick, for Miami I’d ask for Tua and a pick and for the Jets just the pick

  11. Couldn’t even give him lip service and interview the man when you said you valued his opinion?

    Couldn’t give your franchise at least two hours of your day to let the guy he wants tell you what he’s about? That’s just bad leadership.

  12. Hopkins probably shouldn’t have signed that contract. I mean the money was too good to pass up but after Hopkins was traded for “culture” reasons, the red flags turned into out right murals.

  13. mlhigh77 says:
    January 7, 2021 at 8:54 pm
    Houston, you have a problem.
    ^^^^
    Houston you have HAD a problem.

  14. I remember Peyton Manning selling Adam Gase to the Jets. Look where that Got them lol

  15. Bench him if he doesn’t like it, and then when he acts up suspend him for conduct detrimental to the team, and send him home with no pay. Don’t allow the NFL to turn into the NBA where players dictate what coach they’ll play for, and who they’ll play with

  16. Texans in danger of losing their identity, if both Watson and Watt leave. O’Brien was a disaster as GM, they done nothing to help Watson, no draft picks for the first 2 rounds in this years draft. They are headed for the abyss!

  17. Of course he wanted Bienemy, and we know why. Fortunately barely average QB’s don’t dictate to teams what is going to happen. No doubt he will be traded for some mid round picks,maybe some players and become another teams headache.

  18. Makes no sense to not even interview Bieniemy and totally piss off your franchise QB. Must be more to the story. Caserio gets to step in it right off the plane.

  19. This is the new dumbest franchise of the day. Nobody is saying you need to kowtow to every littler thing your franchise QB wants, but you should keep your word. Also Bieniemy is a top candidate so to not even interview him is idiotic. Easterby won’t be happy until he has an entire roster of robots.

  20. Looked up the definition of gross incompetence in the dictionary today and it had a picture of the Texans’ brain trust

  21. I mean sure, Bienemy is probably the hottest candidate for HC right now. Of course Watson wants him as his next coach.

    There’s two ways for Watson to go about it if Bienemy doesn’t land there: stay silent to the media and go about your business and when FA comes up again don’t sign, or make let it be known publicly and tank your relationship with your new coach. His skills are more valuable if a future employer doesn’t have an idea he’ll bring any drama and disrupt the team comradere.

  22. when the qb runs the show, might have to think twice about the “team” aspect…just sayin

  23. If he truly wants out and Houston is really willing to trade him the problem is going to be who is he willing to go to and will they take the salary cap hit to dump their current QB and negotiate a new contract with him and the compensation they will have to give.

    One destination that would be interesting is Dallas. They could dump Prescott with no salary cap hit and give a 1 & 3 this year and a 1 and 2 in 2022. They may have to include something else (existing players or draft picks) but it would be interesting.

  24. acemagee45 says:
    January 7, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    If you cannot beat them, join them. That is all Watson wanted. Watson could seamlessly slide in as QB2 for the Chiefs next year.

    Now that is exciting to think about!!
    ———————

    That’s the dumbest thing ever. Watson is a top tier quarterback, not a backup. Especially to Mahomes.

  25. Ok now we are going to let the quarterback pick the coach? I remember last year when Rogers didn’t like the new coach , how has that worked out ?

  26. What a mess the Texans created by involving a player in a management hiring process.

  27. The audacity of some people. This player legitimately thinks choosing a head coach is his decision??

  28. poor Houston, they still trying to do things the Patriot way, again, even after it didn’t work the first time will Bill O.

  29. Does Watson really not understand that while he may *want* a certain coach, other people in the organization are actually *accountable* for the choice of coach and the outcome of that choice?

    Why would they delegate the authority of choosing a coach to someone who would have absolutely no accountability for the choice?

  30. Maybe the ownership in Houston is wary since both Matty Nagy and Doug Pederson are proving to be ineffective as Head Coaches? I know Pederson won a Super Bowl but it looks like Frank Reich was the reason, not Pederson.

  31. Eric isn’t Easterby’s guy.

    They will hire a first time head coach that will just be glad to get the job.
    That way Jack stays in control.

    Remember how Cal said Easterby wouldn’t be involved in the GM and coach hires…..

    Cal is part of this problem, Watson sees this is going to continue to be a train wreck of an organization.

    Don’t blame him wanting out.

  32. i make 40 million a year and i don’t like my bosses…
    .
    im sure there are a lot here who can relate… to that second part…

  33. Watson would immediately start on probably 26 of the 31 other teams right now. QB is one of the only positions that Houston is currently set at and they want to screw that up?

  34. This isn’t good. This reminds me of Favre telling the GM to get Randy Moss, etc. No. You are a player, you are not a scout, player personnel, nor should you have any say in the roster. Garbage. I totally get Watson being frustrated about the Texans’ decisions, direction, and all that. But, no. How fitting … in the very same town, the Rockets let James Harden fly in his own jet, tell management what to do, and they catered to him, entirely.

    Yeah, that’s working out great. Not.

  35. No way he gets traded. They’ll figure out a way to make him happy, or at least content to play out his prime in Houston.

  36. Cal McNair, like his father before him, is a buffoon. You don’t tell the most important player on your team he will have input on front office and coaching positions. That puts the unrealistic idea of significant influence on the decisions into the players head. That’s bad. And to make matters worse the team is apparently ignoring any suggestions Watson makes. The only upside is that Texans can get a king’s ransom for Watson if they play their cards right (which they won’t given McNair and their history).

  37. It’s becoming more clear though O’Brien was a big problem — the Texans are a dysfunctional organization from the top on down.

  38. Watson’s head is a little big… who does he think he is, win some playoff games then choose a coach.

  39. Why exactly is it OK for the football players to choose their own GM and coach? Am I missing something?

  40. If traded..
    Will be one of the dumbest trades ever done. A team has never traded away their franchise QB in his prime. Ever!. The haul from this trade might cost a team 3 first round picks with couple 2’s and more. Dumb to even think they’d trade the franchise away but, this is the team that gave away the best WR in the NFL.

  41. When Aaron Rodgers complained about not having say when they hired LaFleur, I don’t remember him getting 1% of the vitriol Watson is getting for having the audacity to think maybe ownership could at least ASK him who he would like them to consider.

  42. The problem is Eric Bieniemy knows the Chargers job is the best job opening right now, not the Texans. The Texans have no cap space or top draft picks for 2 years. Deshaun Watson is the only elite player since O’Brien ran them into the ground before getting fired. The Chargers have both draft picks and cap space, as well as stars all over the field on both sides of the ball. He’d be crazy not to take the job.

  43. Watson to 49ers..
    Jimmy G to the Bears
    Allen Robinson, 49ers 2020 1st, 49ers 2021 2nd and Chicago mid rounder to the Texans.

    Jimmy goes home to Chicago and the Bears finally get a QB and get some value for a WR they were never going to sign long term. Texans get draft picks to get a rookie QB and a stud WR.

  44. The problem with trading for Watson is what it would take to get him from Houston would put a team in the same position of having no cap space or picks to help him out that he is trying to get away from.

  45. How well does he know Eric Bieniemy’s skill set as it applies to their roster, etc? Just because he seems like “the cool choice” right now, doesn’t guarantee he will be a success.

  46. I’d love to see him in the Burgundy & Gold. Think about it…how often do top 10 QBs entering their prime become available? Almost never.

    I think the asking price would be too high. At least two 1st round picks.

  47. For the love of god Rams, what ever it takes, make it happen :trade him for Goff and future first and second SB favorites instantly

  48. Alienating Watt with the firing of a respected PR staffer and now your star QB. This job is not the “great job” that many media tout it as being. Sounds like a front office Game of Thrones. Free agents will stay away.

  49. another dumpster fire franchise.

    the talent they had on the field for the last few years.

    JJ
    Deshaun
    Deandre

    And they blew it.

  50. Deshaun look at the weapons KC has…90% of people who post here could win a Super Bowl with them…you are a player not an executive

  51. If the Texans said they’d consult with Watson, and then they not only don’t do that but they reject his recommendation of a coach who is generally considered to be the #1 HC prospect in the League, then I can’t blame him for being fed up. It would be a different story if he hadn’t been told he’d be part of the process. Or if Bienemy wasn’t inexplicably rejected from so much as a look-see.

    Texans ownership and management are their own worst enemies. The thing I do blame Watson for is signing that big contract with them. It’s not like it’s news that the Texans are a bad organization.

  52. If Deshaun Watson is unhappy and the Texans don’t want to trade him, do you really think a competitor like him would ‘tank’ just to force the trade? And if he did, wouldn’t that tell the next team that he will do the same thing to them at some point?

    Players play and they only know how to play 100 miles an hour, pedal to the metal. Watson has it in him to only know one way to play, all in, full effort.

    The Dolphins didn’t ‘Tank’ in 2019 by keeping Tannehill, Tunsill, Stills, Fitzpatrick, etc and then ‘force’ them to suck in games and give away wins, they ‘tanked’ by putting inferior players on the roster. Same with the Eagles and the Hurts-Sudfeld dynamic and Buccaneers game you mention.

    High level competitors, specially quarterbacks like Deshaun would never ‘tank’ to force a trade.

  53. Just because you consult with someone, doesn’t mean you do what they recommend. Sure, they got his feedback, but maybe he’s just not a good fit. No one hired him last year after interviewing.

  54. Underachieving teams tend to be the result of indifferent or incompetent ownership. For Houston I’m going with incompetent.

  55. Texans listened to Watson but they are under no obligation to act on his suggestions. Watson is acting like a spoiled baby… like most NFL players.

  56. He has 20 million reasons to play, if he doesnt want to play he can sit out and not get 20 mill. Life is all about choices.

  57. Perhaps Watson should focus on being a quarterback, instead of trying to be a member of the front office.

  58. As an Eagles fan, it is not ideal to have your very recently paid QB unhappy with the treatment he received from the organization. Unfortunately for me, our “franchise” QB put up historically poor numbers before being pulled for a rookie.

  59. It won’t be the first franchise to squander talent through inept management and ownership. Won’t be the last, either.

  60. “Of course he wanted Bienemy, and we know why.”
    ___________

    Because Beinemy is the guy of the moment and has enjoyed huge success? If you have an athletic QB and AREN’T thinking of at least interviewing Bienemy there is something wrong with you.

  61. Bill O’Brien spent more time trying to do the GM job that he coached the team poorly. Deshaun Watson wants to be the GM and head coach? It won’t work out.

  62. I dont know. Try to place myself in the mindset of an owner and ask, would I ask our QB who he likes? First I think you go GM first and let the GM do the leg work on a coach and as owner you sit down with the top two people the GM likes and discuss. Dont see how or why the QB would be consulted unles said QB has worked with and knows the coach well and can add into?

  63. I can’t think of an instance in which another QB had so many demands on th eteam, let alone a QB who has never really accomplished anything. I’ve never heard Brady, Manning, Montana, Young, or any of those guys cause such a fuss. Sounds like Watson is quickly becoming more trouble than he’s worth.

    If they don’t want to trade him he can sit out or whatever and I expect at that point the Texans will play hardball and fine him as much as they can. This is not going to end well.

  64. Watson is a top three QB in the NFL. PFF graded him higher than Mahomes. It will be crazy for Houston not to try to fix the issue because he is a proven NFL QB.
    Trading Watson for a bunch of draft picks is very risky because college stars do not always become quality NFL starters.
    Blake Bortles, Winston, Mariota, Goff, Wentz, Trubisky, Darnold are examples of top three picks who have not made smooth transitions.
    If Houston decides to move from Watson they will have a lot of suitors…

  65. If traded..
    Will be one of the dumbest trades ever done. A team has never traded away their franchise QB in his prime. Ever!. The haul from this trade might cost a team 3 first round picks with couple 2’s and more. Dumb to even think they’d trade the franchise away but, this is the team that gave away the best WR in the NFL.

    Are you too young to remember when San Diego traded Drew Brees?

  66. Mahomes [the best young QB in football, to Watson, the second best young QB in football] — “Y’all should hire my OC as your head coach.”

    Watson [to GM] — “The best young QB in football tells me that we should hire his OC as our head coach.”

    GM [who has never been a GM anywhere] — “Yeah. We’re good. In fact, we are not going to even interview the OC who the best young QB in the league swears by. We have a different plan.”

    [Watson starts dialing real estate agent to list his house]

  67. Its obvious that Watson has not watched many Chiefs games. Its not Eric Bieniemy’s offence, Its Andys. Bieniemy does not call the plays, Andy does. All Bieniemy really does it just yell at the players when they screw up. Except Travis Kelce. Bieniemy doesn’t yell at him anymore, since Kelce grabbed him by the shirt, picked him up, then proceeded to yell back.

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