Dealing with the fallout from a comment that Houston Texans owner Bob McNair made last month at a closed-door meeting of team owners and league executives, things have gone from bad to worse. McNair’s team meeting where he explained his remarks referring to players as “inmates” was reportedly a disaster. He also lost two star players–one via trade and the other to an injury. And now, USA Today reports that he must be deposed in Colin Kaepernick’s grievance against league owners for alleged collusion.
Last week kicked off with over 30 Texans players kneeling in protest over McNair’s comments. The team then lost 41-38 to the Seattle Seahawks, falling to a 3-4 record and potentially dashing any hopes of postseason play. This week, they face the Indianapolis Colts without three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown and rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson. Brown, who spoke out against McNair’s “inmate” reference, was traded to Seattle on Monday for cornerback Jeremy Lane, according to ESPN .
Making matters worse, NFL.com reported that Watson tore an ACL on Thursday while in practice and has been placed on injured reserve. The Texans will have to rely on Tom Savage and backup quarterback T.J. Yates to fill the void. Neither Savage nor Yates compares to the injured rookie in skill or accomplishments on the field, but coach Bill O’Brien said all is not lost. He is confident that the Texans are “going to show up and fight and play.”
The fact that McNair’s camp didn’t reach out to the very capable and healthy Colin Kaepernick to at least work out with the team won’t help the embattled owner defend himself against allegations of collusion. USA Today reported that the still-unsigned quarterback’s legal team has summoned McNair, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to a deposition where they must turn over cell phone records, emails , and other communications.
Locked In pic.twitter.com/YJm8H0g7A9
— Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76) November 3, 2017
But McNair’s organization wasn’t the only one to pass on Kaepernick. NBC Sports reported that the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos, and the Green Bay Packers all have a need to fill at the quarterback position. Not one of them has broken ranks to even talk to the veteran player.
Happy Birthday @kaepernick7 ! ????????
S/O to @ajplus for this video! ?? pic.twitter.com/X7y4HnrhAj
— Know Your Rights Camp (@yourrightscamp) November 4, 2017
McNair’s position on the national anthem protests started by Colin Kaepernick hasn’t exactly served him well. But since he is apparently committed to not having “inmates running the prison,” the team’s fate is uncertain–and that’s putting it mildly.
[Featured Image by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images]
