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NFL notebook: Texans fire Gaine after one season

[June 08, 2019] The Houston Texans announced Friday that they have fired general manager Brian Gaine after one season, admitting that the timing of the change was "unusual."

"After a thorough evaluation of our football operations, we have decided to relieve Brian Gaine of his duties as general manager. Brian is a man of high character and we appreciate his contributions to our organization," said Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair in a statement.

"We will begin an immediate search for a new GM. In the interim, Football Operations will be led by Senior Vice President of Football Administration Chris Olsen. While the timing may be unusual, this decision was made in the best interest of our organization in our quest to build a championship team for the City of Houston."

Gaine spent three seasons with the Texans as director of player personnel from 2014 to 2016 before joining the Buffalo Bills as vice president of player personnel in 2017. He was hired as the Texans' GM in January 2018 after former general manager Rick Smith took a leave of absence to take care of his wife as she battled cancer. Gaine was signed to a five-year contract.

--The New York Jets hired Philadelphia Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas as their new general manager.

ESPN reports Douglas was given a six-year contract, and that he tried to turn down the job multiple times before agreeing to the lengthy deal.

Douglas was widely reported as the favorite for the job, and some reports noted his name surfaced as a potential candidate even before the firing of previous GM Mike Maccagnan last month. The New York Daily News reported earlier this week the Jets were "not thrilled with the perception" that the job was Douglas' to lose.

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--Prosecutors in suburban Kansas City are not looking into Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill on suspicion of child abuse, but the Kansas Department for Children and Families is continuing to investigate Hill. In the meantime, his status with the team remains uncertain.

The Kansas City Star reported that Steve Howe, the Johnson County district attorney, said a criminal investigation is inactive but added, "As in any case, if we receive additional evidence we reevaluate."

In April, Howe's office declined to press charges against Hill or his fiancée, Crystal Espinal, after an incident in which their young son suffered a broken arm. He said he believed someone had hurt the child but couldn't prove it. Howe told The Star that those remarks "still hold true."

--The New York Jets agreed to terms to bring back running back Bilal Powell, a month after he was cleared from a neck injury that was once considered potentially career threatening.

Powell, 30, spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Jets, but he suffered a season-ending neck injury on Oct. 21. He underwent surgery soon after, and then-head coach Todd Bowles said it could end the running back's career depending on the results of surgery.

Instead, Powell was cleared on May 8 and sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams saying he was "really looking forward to getting back to work."

--Field Level Media

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