Jack Easterby has reportedly contributed to an ‘atmosphere of mistrust’ in Houston
The former Patriots chaplain's sudden ascent to power has reportedly "generated intense curiosity."
A Sports Illustrated report described Jack Easterby’s ascension to the top of the Texans’ front office as “unlike anything the NFL has ever seen.”
The story said people inside the organization believe he’s contributed to an “atmosphere of mistrust” and a “state of constant chaos.”
Jenny Vrentas and Greg Bishop wrote that many feel as though Easterby – who was previously the Patriots’ chaplain and is now the Texans’ executive vice president of football operations – isn’t fit for his current perch.
The article said some liken him to Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger, from the series Game of Thrones in the way he cunningly pulls strings behind the scenes to achieve the outcome he desires.
“Easterby’s sudden ascent to power has generated intense curiosity and, depending on whom you ask, either admiration or scrutiny,” Vrentas and Bishop wrote.
Many current and former colleagues told Vrentas and Bishop that Easterby has undermined executives and decision-makers, allowed workouts during the COVID-19 pandemic after the NFL ordered franchises to shut down, advocated for the trade of star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins soon after arriving in Houston, and fostered a “culture of distrust.”
The group training session, which lasted several weeks, resulted in numerous Texans players testing positive – just one example of a larger trend.
“There is a perception inside the Texans’ building that Easterby won a power struggle, completing his climb,” Vrentas and Bishop wrote. “And in doing so, these sources say, the character coach brought in to improve the culture has made it worse.”
Jack Easterby rose from Jaguars intern to lauded character coach, before making an unusual shift into football operations. But his two seasons in Houston have been defined by chaos, mistrust and questions. Our story: https://t.co/3xCueVyMpC
— Greg Bishop (@GregBishopSI) December 10, 2020
Two people estimated that 85 percent of the people within the organization didn’t trust Easterby when friction intensified in 2019. Another person put the percentage to 90.
Players began to watch what they said around him, nervous that he was looking for reasons to move out people with different values or lifestyles, according to the article.
One Texans player and two staffers said they believed players were being surveilled outside the building. A specific player was so convinced he was being followed that he paid a friend to watch a dark sedan that was frequently parked outside his house.
The report makes it clear that this alleged behavior contradicts the way the majority of people perceived him in Foxborough, where he became close with head coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick recently praised Easterby for his role with the Patriots but said he’s “not a personnel person, no.”
Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair also complimented Easterby but said Easterby is not on the internal search committee for the next general manager or head coach. His role, and his vision, are consistently in question, according to the report.
“There’s a sense that Easterby is scrambling,” Vrentas and Bishop wrote. “Confidants say that the last couple of months have been a tough time for Easterby, as he’s faced what McNair labeled as ‘personal attacks.’ He’s trying to hang on as the roles he once captured slip away.”
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