Fansided

The Texans should fire Bill O’Brien for DeAndre Hopkins trade

By Matt Verderame

HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 06: DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans lines up in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 06: DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans lines up in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Texans traded DeAndre Hopkins for peanuts. It’s time for the franchise to get rid of Bill O’Brien before he causes more harm.

It’s time to fire Bill O’Brien.

On Monday, the Houston Texans sent All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2020 second-round pick, a 2021 fourth-round pick and running back David Johnson. Oh, and Houston threw in a 2020 fourth-rounder.

This is the most indefensible trade in recent NFL history.

Houston was a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Texans were one win away from hosting the AFC Championship Game two months ago. That’s now over.

Without Hopkins and a first-round pick in each of the next two drafts, Houston is finished.

The Texans willfully traded a 27-year-old, three-time First-Team All-Pro on a relative cheap deal. Hopkins is under control for three more seasons at $40 million total against the cap. Incredibly, only $1.5 million remains guaranteed.

Somehow, O’Brien gave away one of the league’s best receivers for a Day 2 pick, a Day 3 pick and a running back owed $20 million and a $3 million dead cap hit in 2021. Johnson has been poor the last two years, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. His last good year was 2016, when he rushed for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns.

This is beyond a fireable offense. This is something where ownership should walk down the hall, demand O’Brien’s keycard and do so with security on both sides.

The Texans are essentially up a creek, and it’s completely on O’Brien. They traded away multiple first-round picks for left tackle Laremy Tunsil last year, taking the stalwart from the Miami Dolphins. Somehow, they did so without negotiating a new deal, so that contract will be a monstrosity.

Despite landing Tunsil and spending a first-round pick on right tackle Tytus Howard and a second-round choice on guard Max Scharping, Houston still allowed 49 sacks.

This disaster has been multi-faceted and long in coming.

O’Brien’s coaching prowess was on full display in the AFC Divisional round when he blew a 24-0 lead to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The beleaguered and overmatched O’Brien kicked a 31-yard field goal with a 21-0 lead on 4th and inches, later saying he didn’t have a good 4th and 1 play to call. Minutes later, leading 24-7, he called a fake punt from deep in his own end. It failed, and the Chiefs scored 41 unanswered points en route to a 51-31 win.

Only weeks later, O’Brien inability to play general manager has cost Houston a potential future Hall of Famer while bringing back the equivalent of a stick of gum.

If this doesn’t bring his firing, nothing will.

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