Deshaun Watson Says Texans Firing GM Brian Gaine 'Caught Him off Guard'

The Houston Texans recent firing of general manager Brian Gaine after just one season, in which they made the playoffs, seemed to come out of left field. It caught just about every pundit, analyst, and fan by surprise.

Texans players have been chiming in on the decision, and apparently even quarterback Deshaun Watson didn't see it coming.

Deshaun Watson on Brian Gaine firing: 'It caught me off guard.'
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 11, 2019

Clearly, whatever internal dysfunction was going on within the front office was shielded from the players. Still, it was a head-scratching move by Houston to give Gaine such a short leash after hiring him just one season ago.

Admittedly, it was a disappointing offseason for the Texans. They lost defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu and Kareem Jackson and some felt they reached by drafting offensive tackle Tytus Howard in the first round of the draft.

Tytus Howard is a damn reach there man. Like him, but he’s a got a lot to work on as a prospect there’s no doubt about it. And so the colts are looking like huge winners right now folks. That’s a talented team that’s going to add a really good player no matter how you slice it.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) April 26, 2019

Regardless, successful franchises generally trust their hires enough to give them time to develop the roster how they see fit. By firing Gaine, the Texans did the exact opposite, which could hurt them in their search for a new GM. Any candidate will surely want to know that he can take the reins without fear of being quickly ousted.

Now, the Texans need to nail their upcoming hire to give Watson the support he deserves while he's still on his rookie contract.