‘Ryan clearly just didn’t get it’
The nameplate and personal belongings had been removed from his old locker, but former backup quarterback Ryan Mallett hadn’t ceased being a topic of conversation inside the Texans’ training facility Wednesday.
One day after the Texans terminated Mallett’s two-year, $7.005 million contract due to his unreliable nature, which included missing a team flight in advance of Sunday’s 44-26 loss to the Miami Dolphins, his departure was met with happiness from some disapproving former teammates while other more sympathetic voices expressed concern about his state of mind and his future.
“Ryan clearly just didn’t get it,” said one Texan, speaking on condition of anonymity. “How can you miss the flight? That’s ridiculous and disrespectful to just not show up when everyone else is here ready to go.
“That makes you question whether he cared at all about what we’re trying to do or what kind of problems he’s dealing with. He’s immature.”
The Texans had tolerated the strong-armed former Arkansas standout’s chronic tardiness for
months.
They endured his being late for a team bus in Richmond, Va., when the Texans were there for joint practices with Washington, with a team official going to his hotel room to wake him up. He also overslept and missed a training camp practice two days after Brian Hoyer was named the starter.
The final straw for Texans coach Bill O’Brien was when Mallett, who had been fined several times, showed up late for work Saturday at the team facility and was sent home. Later that day, Mallett missed the team flight to Florida and had to purchase a ticket to fly commercially.
Unable or unwilling to meet the minimum workplace standards of showing up for work and showing up on time, Mallett learned the hard way that the Texans’ patience was exhausted.
“We don’t have a lot of rules, but one rule we do have is we want guys to be on time,” O’Brien said Wednesday. “Now, we’re not talking about starting a meeting 15 minutes early. If the meeting is supposed to start at 8 o’clock, then be there at 8 o’clock, be there at 7:59 ready to go.
“The way we deal with those issues when they’re not here on time, it’s dealt with internally. If it’s something that happens time and time again, then the message isn’t getting through. Then we have to make decisions in that regard, too.”
Career in jeopardy
The Texans tried everything short of assigning a team employee or hiring someone to drive Mallett around to ensure he would be on time.
A few former teammates raised the question of whether Mallett needs professional assistance.
Mallett was arrested for public intoxication in 2009 while at Arkansas. He was under major scrutiny when he entered the NFL in 2011 as a controversial third-round draft pick by New England due to drug rumors surrounding him at Arkansas. Mallett acknowledged past drug use to NFL executives during the scouting combine, but he emphasized those mistakes were behind him.
“With him being late so much and how he acted sometimes, it definitely makes you wonder what’s going on with him,” a former Texans teammate said. “It makes you worry about him. Obviously, something like this makes it tough for him to get on with another team. He’s got to make some changes, or his football career will be over.”
Mallett previously met separately with O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith. Team officials counseled him about his sulking and poor body language on the sideline after he was pulled by O’Brien during a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The message of needing greater accountability apparently never resonated with Mallett, whose talent became overshadowed by his attitude and actions.
“I try to reach every player,” O’Brien said when asked about Mallett. “I communicate with the players. I think we do have expectations for the players. I believe I’m clear about it. Look, it just didn’t work out. We wish him the best of luck, but it didn’t work out here.”
Former Texans center Chris Myers referenced Mallett’s “immaturity” before saying: “But I can attest that Ryan prepared himself properly for games. I saw that firsthand. His preparation in terms of being a pro, things like waking up on time, being on time … sometimes, obviously, that wasn’t there.”
Mallett wasn’t close with Hoyer. The two spoke only as often as needed. And Hoyer had zero interest Wednesday in discussing his wayward former teammate.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Hoyer said. “I only have my personal opinion, and I don’t think it’s appropriate to put that out in the media.”
Speaking generally on the standards of being a Texan, veteran cornerback Darryl Morris said: “This is a first-class organization. They definitely have first-class expectations.”
Termination pay
Although the Texans terminated Mallett’s contract Tuesday, he’s eligible for $1.47 million in termination pay for the remainder of his base salary under the collective bargaining agreement. That still counts against the Texans’ salary cap.
It’s a one-time mechanism in which Mallett can file for the 10 remaining $147,058 game checks, which includes being paid for the open week. Mallett already was paid $1.029 million for the first seven game checks, in addition to $437,500 for seven pergame active roster bonuses.
The Texans guaranteed $1.75 million of Mallett’s $2.5 million base salary for this year, but they have no financial commitments with him in 2016.
With backup quarterback T.J. Yates, who has a good reputation for his professionalism and personality, now on the roster and practicing Wednesday for the first time since signing a one-year contract, the Texans have turned the page on the Mallett era.
“Yeah, we’ve moved on from that with Ryan,” offensive coordinator George Godsey said. “I think as quickly as we can get with T.J. and get him moving, that’s the direction we need to go.”