JJ Watt social media post hints at Texans hiring DeMeco Ryans as next head coach
With reports indicating that the Houston Texans closing in on 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their next head coach, JJ Watt added more fuel to the speculation.
The former Texans defensive end tweeted a photo of himself and Ryans, who played linebacker in Houston from 2006-11, on Monday. Watt did not provide a caption for the picture, though many put the pieces together given the past week’s reports.
It wasn’t the first time that Watt took to social media to support Ryans in his head coaching aspirations. On Jan. 20, he quoted a tweet reporting that the Texans were set to interview DeMeco Ryans for the position. Watt shared his own experience with Ryans, as the two were teammates during Watt’s rookie season in 2011.
“As rookie in Houston, I bought my first house across the street from DeMeco because if Meco thought it was the right place to live, it was the right place to live for me,” Watt said. “Captain, leader, smart, tough, personable, crushed it as DC… He will be a great head coach.”
Ryans played college football at Alabama from 2002-05, helping the Crimson Tide to a Cotton Bowl victory as a senior. He went on to become a second-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft to the Texans, spending the next six seasons with them before joining Philadelphia in 2012.
Following his 10-year NFL playing career, Ryans joined the San Francisco staff in 2017 as a defensive quality control coach. He worked his way up to linebackers coach by the next season and eventually defensive coordinator in 2021. The 49ers advanced to the NFC title game in each of the past two seasons under Ryans, though they fell short both times.
This past season, San Francisco tied for third in the NFL in yards allowed per play (5.0). The 49ers also tied for first in the league in interceptions (20) and ranked second in total turnovers forced (30). If hired, Ryans will hope to bring similar success with him to the Texans, who will be on their fourth head coach in as many seasons.