The drama between potential top-five NFL draft pick Ed Oliver and Houston head coach Major Applewhite hit a new peak on Friday.
Oliver was ruled out of the second half against Memphis, but he’s not hurt. Instead, the defensive lineman was seen standing on the sideline, with his helmet on, looking very much like he wasn’t pleased about the decision to (seemingly) bench him.
More Ed Oliver drama. ABC just said he’s done for the day. No reason given. 24-24 in the third quarter.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 23, 2018
More weird Ed Oliver drama. TV sez UH SID announces he wont return to the game. He's not hurt, he's just standing on the sideline with his helmet on
— PodKATT (@valleyshook) November 23, 2018
Last week, Oliver was out with a minor knee injury but got into it big time with Applewhite over a jacket he was wearing, which was supposed to be only for players who were playing in the game.
Since that incident, a report emerged that some in the NFL community see Oliver as somewhat of a diva, and that the jacket incident only highlighted that.
There are no more concrete details about what may have transpired in the locker room at halftime Friday. But at this point it sure seems like Oliver might end up pulling a Nick Bosa and sitting out the rest of the season to prepare for the 2019 NFL Draft, rather than play another snap for Applewhite.