The NBA, going back decades, figured out a simple truth. Middling coaches are replaceable. Star players are not.
The NFL hasn’t gotten around to that line of thinking, at least not in Houston.
Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien traded All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, getting back the bloated contract of running back David Johnson and a second-round pick. It’s hard to find another trade that was criticized so heavily right after it was made.
On Friday, O’Brien acknowledged what had been reported: Hopkins’ trade was related to him wanting a raise.