Texans hire Gaine as GM, extend O’Brien
The Houston Texans have hired Brian Gaine as general manager and extended the contract of coach Bill O’Brien through 2022.
The team announced the deals yesterday. Gaine signed a fiveyear contract and O’Brien was extended for four years. Gaine brings 19 years of NFL personnel experience to Houston. He spent the 2017 season as the Buffalo Bills’ vice president of player personnel. He also served as the Texans’ director of player personnel from 2015-16 and director of pro personnel in 2014.
Texans owner Bob McNair calls Gaine an “incredibly smart, hardworking individual that understands the importance of good communication.”
Houston finished 4-12 this season after consecutive AFC South titles the previous two years. O’Brien’s 31 career victories in four years are tied for the most by a coach in franchise history.
Newton’s knee an issue
As the NFL and players’ union continue their probe of Carolina’s handling of Cam Newton last weekend, they have another factor to consider — a knee injury to the Panthers quarterback.
League and union officials began speaking to Panthers’ medical personnel this week about the situation involving Newton, who stumbled near the sideline after taking a hit to the head in the fourth quarter of the Saints’ 31-26 wild card victory.
Newton was checked for a concussion in the medical tent behind the Panthers’ bench, but was cleared to return. The NFL’s enhanced concussion protocol requires players demonstrating vertical instability after a hit to the head to be taken to the locker room to be evaluated.
Newton said after the game his head was fine, but he was having problems with his eye after his helmet slid down following the hit by Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata. Newton did not mention anything about his knee during his postgame press conference.
Carolina interim general manager Marty Hurney said this week Newton was told to take a knee before reaching the sideline so backup quarterback Derek Anderson could get warmed up without the Panthers using a timeout.
But a team source said yesterday that Newton had been dealing with a knee issue that could have contributed to him stumbling to the turf.
Trainers checked out Newton’s knee a couple times during the game, although the injury will not require surgery, the source said.
Niners LB arrested
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster is free on bond after his arrest in Alabama on a charge of second-degree possession of marijuana.
The Tuscaloosa News reported the 23-year-old, who just finished his rookie season, was arrested about 9 p.m. Friday.
Tuscaloosa Police, in a news release yesterday, acknowledged officers encountered Foster and “found probable cause to arrest him.” The release did not address whether he was pulled over, why police suspected he had marijuana or how much they say he had.