Texans bringing back Nick Caley as offensive coordinator for second season
January 21, 2026 at 11:59 AM– The status of offensive coordinator Nick Caley going forward as the Texans’ play-caller wasn’t ever really in doubt. The Texans see potential in Caley and believe he made progress and grew throughout his first season as the leader of their offense.
League sources emphasized Monday that Caley was expected back and added it would be a surprise for the Texans to go one-and-done with a highly regarded young coach just as he’s growing into the job. If the Texans had moved on from Caley, that would mean three offensive coordinators heading into coach DeMeco Ryans’ fourth season as head coach. Instead, Caley is back for another year as the Texans seek to upgrade the offense and improve the efficiency of quarterback C.J. Stroud after a rocky playoffs that included five interceptions and five fumbles. “I would anticipate Nick being here next year,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “All of us are just trying to improve and do what we can to make the team and the organization better.”Although the offense struggled mightily at the start of the season during an 0-3 start as Caley implemented his New England Patriots style system and had a rocky playoffs, progress was made during the season as Caley gained a comfort level and built a rapport with players. The Texans went on a 10-game winning streak, including a wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, after a 3-5 start. The Texans finished 13th in scoring offense, 18th in total offense, 14th in passing offense and 22nd in rushing offense. A year ago with Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon operating as a hammer in the backfield and former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik who was replaced by Caley, they were 19th in scoring, 22nd in total offense, 21st in passing offense and 15th in rushing offense. The Texans made strides overall with Caley in his first year calling plays with less predictability in the second half of the season. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who became the only passer in NFL history to have five fumbles and five interceptions during the same postseason, expressed support for Caley. “Yeah, definitely. I love Cales,” Stroud said Monday. “I think there’s growth in our relationship, there’s growth in his ability to call plays, growth and DeMeco trusted him. Whatever our coaches decide, I love Cales and I’m rocking with him however long he’s going to be here.” The offense sorely missed the presence of Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins during the playoffs loss to the Patriots. He’s the Texans’ most dangerous offensive piece. Tight end Dalton Schultz, who led the Texans with 82 catches and had a 42-yard reception against New England, was forced out of the game with a calf injury. They were impossible to replace as the Texans rushed for 48 yards and Stroud was intercepted a career-high four times with one touchdown pass. The Texans had red-zone issues all season, going 1 for 4 in that category at Gillette Stadium. “You don’t replace a Nico Collins,” Ryans said. “You don’t replace a Dalton Schultz. When you lose your top guys, as any team in this league, it’s going to be difficult. I think you got to see the Niners went through something similar too. It catches up with you. The best teams are going to advance, and the best teams are going to win the Super Bowl. You need your top guys out there. “You need your top playmakers out there. We definitely missed Nico not being out there. Dalton, he made the huge explosive, when C.J. was able to scramble on the third down and find Dalton on the sideline. He made a huge play for us, caught another one there, almost got in the end zone. We definitely missed Dalton and we missed Nico. They’ve been two of our most productive players all year. In that moment, you look for other guys to step up and make plays for sure. But we did, we missed those guys.”It was up-and-down overall. “Not where we want to be necessarily right now,” Caley said during the final week of the regular season. “There’s still a lot of room for improvement, but I don’t believe that you can just turn it on. I think the league’s too hard. I think there’s too good of players, too good of coaches to just say, ‘I’m going to flip the switch.’ “My assessment of myself, I look at everything. What would I have done differently? Where could I be better at? I always try to do that. I think it’s no different than we talk about the players, about improving and growing. I’m my hardest critic and I want to do right for this team.” Pass protection improved for the Texans as Stroud was sacked a career-low 23 times during the regular season after a career-high 52 sacks a year ago. That led to the firing of Slowik and offensive line coach Chris Strausser and replacing them with Caley and promoting offensive line coach Cole Popovich with a run game coordinator title. Stroud and the Texans became the fifth team since 1990 to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start. And Stroud and DeMeco Ryans emerged as the fourth quarterback-head coach due in NFL history to make the playoffs each of their first three seasons. “There’s a lot of things that can be fixed,” Stroud said Monday. “I think that’s an area that we tried our best. I think when you have injuries, you have different things, and then you have a new system, you’re still trying to find your identity throughout the year. So, what we were running in the playoffs wasn’t what we were running in Week 1. It’s a whole different offense because it just changes. “I think those things need to be fixed, and they’ll be addressed. It’s not just on Cales, so I want to nip that in the bud right now. It’s on me as well. It’s on everybody. It’s not just me and him. It’s everybody. But it starts with me, and then it goes to him. It starts with everybody. So, it starts with us, too. I’m not going to put it on him. I’ll raise my hand and say me. So, those things will be fixed and we’ll be able to be better from that.”Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.Aaron Wilson is an award-winning Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and www.click2houston.com. He has covered the NFL since 1997, including previous stints for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. This marks his 10th year covering the Texans after previously covering a Super Bowl winning team in Baltimore.Arctic blast to clash with Gulf moisture, possibly bringing freeze to Houston areaHere's why a 19-year-old fast-food employee was charged after accidentally shooting himself in groinHere's why a 19-year-old fast-food employee was charged after accidentally shooting himself in groinWinter Weather: Hard freeze expected for Houston areaOvernight Houston News: Possible Fatal Train Crash & House FireMom demands justice after son killed in Santa FeHow to protect people, pets, plants and pipes as arctic air hits HoustonFootage of brawls captured at NRG Stadium watch party as Texans’ season ends with playoff lossFootage of brawls captured at NRG Stadium watch party as Texans’ season ends with playoff lossLET'S GO TEXANS! Here's how Houston can make its FIRST-EVER AFC CHAMPIONSHIP!Freezing temperatures in Houston today!!!COVER UP, TRAVELING TEXANS! Snow is forecasted for Texans' game visiting the PatriotsDowntown Houston chase leads to deadly crashJuror in Sarah Hartsfield insulin murder trial shares how fast they reached verdict2 arrested following police chase which ended in crash in Highland Village shopping center15 years later, families renew calls for justice in deadly Houston crash as suspect remains free15 years later, families renew calls for justice in deadly Houston crash as suspect remains freeCedar Pollen Alert: Texas Faces Surge in Allergies'New Developments in Kalie Goodwin's Disappearance: Search Warrants Reveal Shocking DetailsUber drivers face federal kidnapping charges related to inappropriate conduct with passengersChannelview neighbors worried about repeated fires at abandoned hotelHouston can expect COLD TEMPERATURES this weekendFort Bend ISD community reacts after boundary-planning survey releaseBaytown Police search two homes in SW Houston nearly two years after disappearancePickup truck SLAMS into cars in Highland Village
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair Fined for Pro-Palestinian MessageHouston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,593 for wearing eyeblack with the message 'Stop the genocide' during a playoff game, violating NFL rules against personal messages. This follows a similar incident involving Nick Bosa and a 'Make America Great Again' hat. The NFL's uniform rules prohibit players from conveying personal messages without prior league approval, particularly those related to political causes.
Read more »
Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair Fined for Pro-Palestinian EyeblackHouston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was fined over $11,000 for wearing eyeblack during a playoff game that displayed a message in support of Palestinians, violating NFL rules against personal messages on uniforms. The fine comes after Al-Shaair previously showed support for Palestinians. The NFL rulebook prohibits players from conveying personal messages, especially those related to political activities.
Read more »
Texans' C.J. Stroud Might Have Cost Himself Millions vs PatriotsThe Houston Texans quarterback might've made a multi-million dollar mistake against the New England Patriots.
Read more »
Nick Saban gives hilarious explanation for why Big Ten is suddenly winning national titlesFormer Alabama coach joined Pat McAfee Show on Monday leading into national championship game
Read more »
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans noncommittal on Nick Caley status, says he’s ‘evaluating everything’Texans evaluating everything after 13-6 season, playoff loss to Patriots
Read more »
DeMeco Ryans Offers Intriguing Answer on Nick Caley’s Texans FutureWill the Houston Texans continue to roll with their offensive coordinator for another season?
Read more »