There might not be a shakeup on the sidelines for the Houston Texans after all.
After a report surfaced that there was a “toxic” relationship between head coach Bill O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith, it appeared as though the coach of the 4-12 Texans — who still has another year left on his contract — possibly could get canned after season’s end.
But things have since taken a turn, particularly with Smith taking a leave of absence to be with his wife as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer. As a result, Smith no longer will serve as GM, and will return from his leave exclusively as executive vice president, the other position he has held.
And while nothing has been set in stone, O’Brien indicated in a press conference on Tuesday that he expects he will be back next season, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.
“O’Brien said he thinks he will be back for the 2018 season and has had ‘positive’ and ‘productive talks’ with owner Bob McNair about signing a contract extension during this offseason,” Barshop wrote.
The Texans were hit with the injuries harder than quite possibly any other team in the league, marring what otherwise has been a somewhat successful run of three consecutive 9-7 seasons with a pair of playoff appearances for the Texans under O’Brien.
