5 replacements for Bill O’Brien as Houston Texans head coach

If the Texans want a slight upgrade over O’Brien, then they should target a better version of O’Brien in New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. For a few years now, McDaniels has been perpetuity linked to NFL jobs he inevitably didn’t get. He almost went to the Indianapolis Colts two offseasons ago, but he’s more than ready for his next opportunity.

McDaniels was up for a few head-coaching gigs this season but did not land any of the five that were available within the last few weeks. The closest he came was with the Cleveland Browns and the Carolina Panthers. Many people thought he’d beat out Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland but did not. McDaniels is reportedly the runner-up for the Panthers’ gig that went to Matt Rhule.

Even though McDaniels was an unmitigated disaster as the Denver Broncos head coach in the very early 2010s, it seems that he has done enough in New England to get the right opportunity should it come up. If he were to go to Houston, it would strengthen the AFC pipeline going from Houston to Foxborough, regarding well-thought-of coaches. O’Brien may go back to the Patriots.

Ultimately, this hiring may not land well with the Texans, given McDaniels’ reputation for only being a good head coach under Bill Belichick’s watch. However, he might be the offensive mind that gets the most out of Watson in Houston. We don’t have any doubts about his bill of health like McDaniels certainly did about Andrew Luck before jumping ship with the Colts in 2018.