Texans OC Caley expected to return, GM says

HOUSTON — Texans general manager Nick Caserio said offensive coordinator Nick Caley is expected to return to Houston in 2026.

«I would anticipate Nick being here next year,» Caserio said Wednesday. «I think Nick learned a lot, [in his] first opportunity as a playcaller. I would say, offensively, probably the last two to three months of the year played pretty good football and did a lot of good things, so there was growth and improvement.»

The Texans hired Caley last offseason after coach DeMeco Ryans fired former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik in February. Houston’s offense ranked 18th in scoring (22.1 PPG) and 16th in total offense (329 YPG) in Slowik’s last year in Houston. Quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked 52 times — the second most in the NFL — in 2024 and was pressured on 38.6% of his dropbacks — the third most, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Texans offense improved in scoring, averaging 23.8 points per game (13th). Maybe just as important, the pass protection around Stroud improved drastically, as his sack total dropped to only 23, a career low.

Stroud, who missed three games with a concussion, and backup quarterback Davis Mills were pressured on only 31.9% of their dropbacks (24th), according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Stroud enjoyed his first season with Caley. The pairing had an effective working relationship in which Caley would listen and apply Stroud’s input to the offensive game plan, something he didn’t always get with Slowik.

«Yeah, definitely. I love Cales,» Stroud said. «I think there’s growth in our relationship, there’s growth in his ability to call plays, growth and DeMeco trusted him. … I love Cales and I’m rocking with him however long he’s going to be here.»

The Texans offense still failed to perform well enough in the ever-challenging divisional round, as Houston scored only 16 points in its loss to the New England Patriots. Stroud played a big part in the defeat, throwing a career-high four interceptions while completing 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown with a career-low passer rating of 28.0.

It was the Texans’ third straight loss in the divisional round under the Stroud-Ryans partnership. Historically, Houston is 0-7 in the divisional round.