Jack Easterby has reportedly expressed that the Kraft family is ‘behind the negative press’ about him
Sports Illustrated learned that Easterby discussed suing the magazine, but nothing has materialized.
According to Greg Bishop and Jenny Vrentas of Sports Illustrated, in a detailed piece published Saturday morning, Jack Easterby has told people in both the Patriots and Houston Texans organizations that the Kraft family is behind the negative press about him.
Some reportedly insist that he’s spread a story that the Krafts – who own the Patriots – are investors in Sports Illustrated or directly funded SI’s reporting, and Sports Illustrated quickly dispelled that notion.
Vrentas and Bishop wrote that they learned that Easterby told people he planned to sue Sports Illustrated, but the magazine hasn’t been notified of any such lawsuit.
Easterby, who was previously the Patriots’ chaplain and is now the executive vice president of football operations for the Texans, is reportedly in a precarious situation where he’s lost the trust of various people within the organization. He reportedly denies telling colleagues that the Kraft family has an ownership stake in the magazine.
Two paragraphs we never expected to have to write: pic.twitter.com/rF2mgqIIvP
— Jenny Vrentas (@JennyVrentas) January 16, 2021
A longtime staffer reportedly said the hire of Nick Caserio as General Manager of the Texans made Easterby’s influence even more clear. Caserio, who was the Patriots’ director of player personnel, came to Houston in a “hiring that blindsided many” because it didn’t align with CEO Cal McNair’s previous statements. Caserio was reportedly not one of the candidates recommended by search firm Korn Ferry.
McNair said that Easterby wasn’t on the internal search committee for a GM or head coach, but it appears Easterby skipped exit interviews to meet with Caserio in New England.
Easterby also reportedly took the place of acting head coach Romeo Crennel during a team meeting and delivered a speech that Vrentas and Bishop said others described as “a lengthy missive intended to be rousing,” in which he praised quarterback Deshaun Watson – perhaps to try and curry favor with him – and brushed aside most other players, including defensive star J.J. Watt.
Former wide receiver Andre Johnson encouraged Watson to stand his ground and said that “nothing good has happened” since Easterby arrived. He called it “pathetic” that no one has been able to deduce that Easterby is the root of the problem.
https://twitter.com/johnson80/status/1349084500840640518
McNair has said publicly that both Easterby and Watson are staying with the team, and he’s continued to stand with both.
“The scrutiny on Jack is really unjustified,” McNair said Friday. “Jack was put into that role (interim GM) the organization needed by me. If missteps were made during that process, we’ll own those within our building.”
The Texans, who have a talented roster with Watson, Watt, and many others, finished 4-12 this past season.
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