The feud between the Houston Texans and Charles Omenihu has been well documented. A fifth round pick by the Texans in the NFL Draft, Omenihu collected seven sacks in his first two years in the NFL before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2021 season.
Omenihu has become one of the top pass-rushers in the NFL, racking up 12.5 sacks over the past three seasons with the 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs. But the 27-year-old still shows his disdain for the Texans’ organization from time to time, including an interview on the “Behind The Facemask” podcast last November.
On Thursday, Omenihu shed some light on what happened during his time with the Texans and why he still hates the organization three years after he made his departure.
Charles Omenihu’s Hatred For Texans Stems From Front Office
During an interview on FanDuel’s “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams, Omenihu revealed that his hatred for the Texans doesn’t stem from any of the current players, fans or the city of Houston. But his main issue stems from the front office and how he was treated during his time with the team.
“When you’re exposed to the other side of the NFL…where guys talk about ‘Oh, it’s a business,’ They use the words of business and in business, things can not be the best,” Omenihu explained. “That’s why I describe my experience with them. So it has nothing to do with the city, nothing to do with the players. It really has nothing to do with the current coaches. There just were things that went on [that] I just didn’t like. I didn’t appreciate.”
"When you're exposed to the other side of the NFL, the side where the guys talk about 'it's a business'... In business you know things can be NOT the best. That's how I would describe MY experience with (Houston)."
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 20, 2025
Charles Omenihu on his relationship with his former team 👀… pic.twitter.com/Lql7JKh2oV
In his interview last October, Omenihu said some of the gripes included how former defensive line coach Bobby King was underqualified for the position and how Texans GM Nick Caserio lied to him. But on Thursday, he also admitted that the events that led to his trade destroyed his confidence in his third season in the NFL.
“In that time I lost a lot of confidence in my game…and I’m a very confident human being,” Omenihu said. “So if I’m in a space where I lose my confidence, it has to be something that I feel a way about. It’s not just a random thing.”
Omenihu struggled during the 2021 season, notching 11 tackles with no sacks for the Texans and logging only six tackles in nine games after the trade to the Niners. He credited the San Francisco organization for helping him rediscover his game and he logged 20 tackles with 4.5 sacks in 2022 before signing with the Chiefs as a free agent in 2023.
Although he was suspended six games for a domestic violence incident to begin the year, he went on to notch a career-high seven sacks before tearing his ACL in the AFC Championship Game. Omenihu had one sack in six games last season and a dreadful performance in the Super Bowl but he still feels like getting out of Houston helped him become the player he is today.
“When I got traded, I was kind of sad…but it was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Omenihu said. “It’s like a give and take, you know, but that’s what somebody uses as fuel. So people be like ‘Oh it’s so long. Why don’t you get over it?’ But no, y’all don’t know what that had made me feel [and] what that did to me. But it ignited the player I am today and to where you just can’t give anybody a reason to devalue you.”
The Texans have moved on with back-to-back playoff appearances in the past two seasons while Omenihu will look to cash in on the free agent market this spring.