Bill O’Brien could be coaching his last game with the Texans

Bill O’Brien could be coaching his last game with the Houston Texans on Saturday evening. If his team loses its NFL Wild Card Game to the Oakland Raiders, there is a chance, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, that he’ll be done with the Texans one way or another.

This is O’Brien’s third year at the helm in Houston and his second playoff appearance. During that time, the relationship between O’Brien, general manager Rick Smith, and owner Bob McNair hasn’t always been warm and fuzzy.

One sore point among the three is quarterback Brock Osweiler, who the Texans signed to a four-year, $72 million contract in the offseason. He’s been awful. Before he got benched in Week 15, Osweiler had five fumbles, 16 interceptions, and a meager 5.8 yards per attempt. O’Brien has been forced to coach around Osweiler, who many believe was McNair’s hand-picked choice to be the franchise’s cornerstone.

If the Texans and O’Brien really are on the outs — and Rapoport suggests that many of the teams with vacancies believe they are — Houston could either trade him, fire him, or do the ol’ mutual breakup.

O’Brien wouldn’t be unemployed for long. Six teams are currently looking for a head coach. All of them have quarterback issues, ranging from struggling young starters to no answers whatsoever. O’Brien’s ability to get the Texans to the playoffs twice with three years of nothing but replacement level quarterbacks, or worse, would make him an attractive hire.

A lot of this hinges on the outcome of Saturday’s game. The Texans are hosting a team with quarterback issues of its own. With Derek Carr and his backup Matt McGloin injured, the Raiders are starting rookie Connor Cook. Houston’s favored by 3.5 points.

That could defer a decision on O’Brien’s future until next week, when the Texans would have to play either the Chiefs or Patriots, if Houston wins this week. Or it could mean both Houston and O’Brien give it one more season in 2017.