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When it comes to a history of litigation between a potential employer and potential employee, the door definitely doesn’t swing both ways. The employer cannot legally hold grudges; the employee can do it.
As CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones explained, the fact that 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans previously sued the Texans doesn’t diminish his interest in the job.
Some would say that’s obvious since Ryans, you know, was being interviewed for the job. But interviewing for the job and being accepted are two different things. Ryans would have to be willing to put the past to rest.
It probably won’t be difficult for him to put the past behind him. The lawsuit arose out of Ryans, a former Texan player who tore his Achilles tendon while playing in Houston as a member of the Eagles. His attorney sued anyone who might have been responsible for the circumstances that caused the injury, as attorneys often do. The court system then finds out who is responsible and who is not.
The lawsuit apparently resulted in the Texans having no issue with Ryans. An injury case is far less personal and volatile than, say, the lawsuit Brian Flores filed against the Texans last year, alleging he was not hired as the head coach in retaliation for the discrimination case he filed against the NFL several weeks earlier . This year, the Texans did not interview Flores.
The fact that Ryans suffered an injury on what was reportedly a substandard playing surface and took action as a result would make him an attractive option for current and future Texas players. It is likely that his personal history will make him a fierce advocate for the safety of the surfaces his players are expected to play on, both home and away.