Jack Easterby's polarizing tenure in the Texans front office reportedly came to an end on Monday morning.
The former New England Patriots staffer turned Texans executive vice president of football operations was dismissed after four years in Houston, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Easterby's rise from Patriots team chaplain and character coach to one of the more powerful positions in the Texans' organization came under intense scrutiny, given his relatively limited experience in football operations.
The mysterious executive was said to have gained outsize influence with Texans ownership at one time, though his role was thought to have diminished after the arrival of general manager Nick Caserio, who was also poached from New England, and more recently the hiring of head coach Lovie Smith.
A damning bombshell report by Sports Illustrated in December 2020 depicted Easterby as unscrupulous and power-hungry, describing his seemingly unlikely rise as "unlike anything the NFL has ever seen."
Among other things, the story said Easterby was behind the ill-fated trade that sent All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, and suggested that Easterby had concerns about Hopkins' character and leadership. The report also indicated that Easterby squeezed out former head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien.
In any event, news of Easterby's firing was met with strong responses from journalists and fans on Twitter:
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