Former Texans LB DeMeco Ryans Cancels Two Interviews

Is the former Texans Linebacker Coming to Houston?

The Houston Texans coaching search is like a soap opera. Very few people admit that they enjoy those programs, but it is probably a guilty pleasure for more than a few people. After all, those things have to stay on network television somehow. Similarly, many fans say they just want to wait to see who the team hires, but a number of us are captivated by every little nugget that comes across the computer or phone screen.

Sunday night provided another of those shifts when it was reported that DeMeco Ryans had cancelled his interviews with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals. This is usually when the viewing public fails basic math and starts to think that two plus two equals cupcakes. So, let’s go over the possible narratives here before we get ahead of ourselves.

DeMeco knows he will be the Texans coach

This is probably the easiest conclusion that people will make and it is also probably the least likely. Naturally, it doesn’t mean that Ryans won’t be the next coach, but I seriously doubt anyone knows that yet. After all, this report came out before they even announced finishing the Mike Kafka interview. This week they will start second interviews with the finalists. There are just too many reasons why this narrative isn’t likely.

For one, there is already reporting that he will catch up with those two teams. For another, there is also reporting out there that Sean Payton has considered the Texans as one of the two finalists for his services. Either way, there is just way too much going on to assume the narrative above.

DeMeco wants to focus on the Playoffs

This is the leader in the clubhouse. Of course, as of this writing, he has not rescheduled those interviews. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything though. We know the interview with the Texans went long. This of course feeds the first narrative. Many of us have been in bad interviews. They don’t last a long time. It usually involves some verbal fumbling, a resume mishap, and quickly being shown the door.

However, the fact that it went long also feeds into this narrative. Ryans probably budgeted a certain amount of time to the process and the Broncos and Texans just ate up all of that time. It happens. Obviously, he was focused on Sunday night and his focus was rewarded. That fact only intensified as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.

DeMeco is managing his opportunities

Ryans turned down an interview with the Minnesota Vikings last season. As we saw this year, that was a pretty good situation he turned down. Ben Johnson of the Lions did the same thing this offseason. Maybe Ryans is only interviewing with teams he feels have a good opportunity to turn things around. Maybe he wanted another year of seasoning before he took a job. Maybe a lot of things.

This is another one of those two plus two equals cupcakes. None of us can be sure how he views any individual situation. Aaron Wilson famously said he wasn’t interested in the Texans job and now it is one of two interviews he has done. It would be foolish to speculate anything as far as the Cardinals and Colts are concerned.

The Payton Problem

Following the Sean Payton sweepstakes is about as fun as putting makeup on a pig. Colin Cowherd reported that Payton was most interested in the Broncos. The report I referenced above said he wasn’t interested in the Broncos, but the Texans and Panthers were in play. Other reporting has indicated that he was only really interested in the Los Angeles Chargers if that job came open.

Now that the Dallas Cowboys are out of the playoffs maybe they would make a play for him. Then again, Jerry Jones said Mike McCarthy was his guy. Or, is that really what he meant? Could Payton be using all of this foolishness as a way to leverage more money out of Fox? Then, we get to all of the rumors about what he wants in a contract and what the Saints want for compensation. If we keep going in circles like this I’m afraid I’ll get sick and throw up in the bushes.

The Final Verdict

There is no final verdict. I don’t know anything. Anyone that tells you that they absolutely know is lying to you. The fact is that in the next few weeks the Texans will reveal their next coach. It could be next week. It could be the week after that. They could wait until after the Super Bowl. They will have a coach and all signs point to that coach being better than David Culley and Lovie Smith. Anything more than that is just idle speculation at this point.