After a disappointing season in 2024 for the Houston Texans’ offense, the team decided about ten days ago to part ways with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. From there, they launched a search for Slowik’s replacement that churned out eight candidates, two inside the building and six outside the building, either working in the NFL or in college.
On Monday afternoon, the search ended for the Houston Texans, as they named Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Nick Caley their new offensive coordinator:
Among the eight candidates the Texans reportedly interviewed, Caley seemed to skew toward the more popular end among fans and media. I myself like the hire. Here are my thoughts as to why:
Caley has a good pedigree (that includes Nick Caserio)
Among the eight finalists for the job, Caley probably has the most Texans-friendly pedigree. We can start with his education, as he is a graduate of John Carroll University, which is also the alma mater of Nick Caserio and special teams coordinator Frank Ross. Additionally, he spent several seasons in New England on the coaching staff, with six of those seasons coinciding with Caserio’s tenure there. After his time in New England, Caley worked for Rams head coach Sean McVay, where they run a similar offense to the one C.J. Stroud has been in the last couple seasons. The variety of systems he’s been exposed to, along with the elite coaching he’s rubbed elbows with, are a big part of Caley’s attractiveness as a candidate.
Could we see a tight end resurgence?
Caley’s positional background has been with tight ends. It’s no secret that the tight end group was among the more disappointing within the Texans last season, particularly starting tight end Dalton Schultz, who had a subpar season in the first year of a new three year contract. Additionally, Cade Stover, in his second season, will be looking to improve. Caley’s presence and background could be very beneficial for both guys, as the offense tries to elevate its game in 2025. In particular, Caley may have a better grasp on how best to use each of the tight ends than Slowik did.
What’s the staff going to look like?
It should be noted that, in addition to Slowik, the Texans also let offensive line coach Chris Strausser go, so they have a void to fill there. Assistant OL coach Cole Popovich is rumored to be a candidate for internal promotion. The big one for me is QB coach Jerrod Johnson, who interviewed for the OC role, but obviously fell short. Caley may be inclined to keep Johnson around, as Johnson has a very close relationship with Stroud. For what it’s worth, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports that there is little change expected within the offensive staff.
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