Bill O’Brien admits big regret from tenure with Texans

The Texans named O’Brien their general manager in January 2020 after operating during the 2019 season without one.

It was after that promotion that O’Brien made arguably the most criticized move of his NFL career when he traded star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.

In his first season in Arizona, Hopkins tied a career high with 115 receptions and added 1,407 yards and six touchdowns en route to his fifth All-Pro selection and fifth Pro Bowl. Conversely, Johnson lasted just two seasons in Houston, rushing for 691 yards and six touchdowns in Year 1 and just 228 yards in his final year.

Other moves the Texans made during O’Brien’s tenure included trading a 2020 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for receiver Brandin Cooks and an additional fourth-rounder, signing Jonathan Greenard, who led the Texans in sacks in 2023, to a four-year deal, and acquiring offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Miami Dolphins for two first-round picks, a second-rounder and two players.

“Yeah, we made some controversial decisions, but we made some good decisions too,” O’Brien added. “We traded some top picks for Laremy Tunsil. Laremy Tunsil's one of the greatest left tackles in the history of the game, in my opinion. ... So it wasn't like it was all terrible.”