Breaking: Watson Gets New Coach As Texans Hire David Culley

The Texans will hire David Culley as their new head coach and try to revive their relationship with Deshaun Watson

Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time since Week 4 of the 2020 NFL season, Deshaun Watson has a head coach in Houston. 

Whether or not that new coach works with Watson, however, remains to be seen. 

Baltimore assistant David Culley has reportedly been hired to be the next head coach of the Houston Texans. Culley also served as the pass-game coordinator and the wide receivers coach for the team. 

Culley played a role in implementing the offense that helped Lamar Jackson win MVP in 2019. Culley has been a coach in the NFL since he became the wide receivers coach for the Buccaneers in 1994. Despite his experience, this will be his first time in a head coaching role.

The #Texans are working towards a deal with David Culley to make him their head coach, sources tell me, @RapSheet and @MikeGarafolo.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 28, 2021

It is too soon to know how this will impact the organization's relationship with Watson, the former Clemson star who is reportedly seeking a way out of Houston. Watson wants the organization to trade him and get a fresh start. Last year, Watson's teammate and fellow Clemson Tiger, DeAndre Hopkins, left the team due to issues with the organization's leadership. Then, after an 0-4 start, head coach/general manager Bill O'Brien was fired.

There is a growing sense from people in and around the Texans’ organization that Deshaun Watson has played his last snap for the team. It’s early in the off-season, there’s a lot of time left, but Watson’s feelings cannot and should not be underestimated.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 17, 2021

Watson, the fourth-year quarterback, is coming off his best season in the NFL and is drawing interest from teams around the league. The Texans are reluctant to trade Watson and are doing what they can to entice him to stay. It'll be interesting to see if Culley's presence changes anything for the frustrated signal-caller. 

Culley has been coaching since 1978, when he joined the staff at Austin Peay. He continued to coach in college and made stops at Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, among others, as a QB, running backs and receivers coach. He's been with the Ravens for the last two seasons, and before that, Culley was the QB coach in Buffalo before working as the WR coach in Kansas City as Andy Reid's assistant head coach.