The Houston Texans may have come up short in the AFC Divisional Round, however, it seems the front office was pleased with the strides the team made. As a result, head coach Bill O'Brien has earned himself a bit of a promotion.

Texans Chairman and CEO Cal McNair announced that O'Brien will also be taking on the role of general manager in Houston, via the team's official website:

“Preparations are underway for the 2020 season and I thought it was important to update titles, roles and responsibilities for Bill O'Brien and Jack Easterby so they more accurately reflect the way we have been operating for the past eight months,” said McNair. “I was encouraged by the progress that our team made on the field this year which was due in part to our new structure, operating approach and the leaders within our football operations group. I am proud that we provided our fans with many thrilling victories at home, including a playoff win, and we delivered another double-digit win season. Our fans deserve that, but now it is time for the organization to get back to work toward our pursuit of a world championship for the city of Houston.”

The Texans secured their fourth AFC South title in five years after finishing the 2019 NFL season with a 10-6 record. They appeared to be well on their way to a conference championship until they allowed a miraculous comeback by the Kansas City Chiefs. Regardless, it is clear that McNair is still happy with the progress this team has made.

O'Brien caught plenty of flak for his role in the loss to the chiefs. His expanded role as both head coach and general manager will now only leave him subject to either more praise for criticism since total control over the roster is a position that only a few respected coaches having this league.

There is no question that expectations remain as high as ever for the Texans. The onus will ultimately fall on whether or not O'Brien can get them there with all the talent already at his disposal to build on.