HOUSTON – Cal McNair, the president and CEO of the Texans, admitted that he has not heard from Deshaun Watson since he hired Nick Caserio as general manager, but said that he hopes to talk to the franchise defender about this move soon.
“I came to understand that it was reported that Deshaun felt left out of the process, but he and I had several visits and understood his point of view before meeting with the candidates,” McNair said Friday. “I contacted Deshaun about Nick’s employment and I look forward to him returning to me when he returns from vacation.”
On Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Watson provided information about potential candidates for general manager, but that the Texans did not consider or consult with those supported by their franchise defender.
“Some things never change …” Watson wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, sources told ESPN that the defender’s feelings were directed at the way the business was run by Texans.
Watson met with McNair over Zoom during the season to discuss candidates and the future of the franchise, and at the end-of-season press conference, Watson said he told McNair he hoped the team would keep offensive coordinator Tim Kelly on the team. .
McNair, who held a press conference for the first time since taking over for his father in 2018, spoke as he introduced Caserio. When Caserio was asked about rumors that Watson wanted to be changed after learning about his employment on social media, the general manager said that Watson “is our defender”.
“Once we have the opportunity to spend some time together, we will continue our discussion,” Caserio said. “I can’t tell you how much respect and admiration I have for the player and what he means to this franchise.”
If Texans changed Watson, they would have to absorb a $ 22 million salary cap tax.
The Texans hired Caserio just over four months after they fired Bill O’Brien, the team’s former head coach and general manager. Despite hiring a coach who has spent the past 20 years in New England, McNair said Texans are not trying to double the Patriots’ culture.
“In terms of their organization, we don’t consider ourselves South Patriots,” McNair said. “We’re here to lead this team down the Texans.”