The Houston Texans have fired executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday morning.
Easterby, who served as the New England Patriots team chaplain and character coach prior to questionably ascending through the NFL ranks, was hired by Houston in 2019. Easterby had a key voice in the organization thanks to his budding relationship with Texans owner and CEO Cal McNair, but his tenure with the organization was filled with questions and controversy. Most notably, Easterby was included in a Sports Illustrated report citing the strain and division he created inside the Houston organization.
Easterby, according to reports at the time, also played a large role in the firing of head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien four games into the 2020 season. McNair gave Easterby responsibility over personnel after O'Brien was fired, which was another stunner given his previous roles, but ultimately hired former Patriots executive Nick Caserio as the general manager before the 2021 campaign. The two worked together, though Easterby reportedly oversaw Caserio, a much more well-respected football mind.
Patriots fans probably will remember Easterby's post-New England tenure for the controversy pertaining to Bill Belichick's team. Easterby blamed the Kraft family for being behind the Sports Illustrated report which created his negative public image. The Patriots also filed tampering charges against the Texans in June 2019 after believing Easterby had illegal conversations with Caserio during a party celebrating the team's sixth Super Bowl.
Easterby spent six seasons with the Patriots from 2013 to 2018, working with the organization through the time Aaron Hernandez was arrested and charged with murder, after entering the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs as the team chaplain.
