While the Houston Texans brought in Nick Caley to address all areas of underwhelming offensive personnel, C.J. Stroud’s progression or regression will serve as his legacy as the new offensive coordinator.
Stroud, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, suffered a setback in Year 2 under Bobby Slowik. The Texans might have won the AFC South and secured a postseason victory, but the defense was the backbone of the unit.
Stroud took 52 sacks and was pressured on 38.6% of his dropbacks (third most according to NFL Next Gen Stats). He also doubled his interception total and threw three fewer touchdown passes while posting a passer rating of 87.0.
Caley, who will be a first-time player in a similar fashion to Slowik during the 2023 season, sees Stroud’s struggles as a one-year wonder rather than the norm.
“He can spin it,” Caley said Thursday during his opening press conference. “He throws the ball — he’s an accurate thrower of the football. He’s a natural thrower of the football. He’s instinctive. He’s got the it factor. He’s a warrior in terms of his competitiveness and I’ve admired him dating back to his college days. I’m really, really excited to have an opportunity to work with him.”
The Texans are banking on Stroud to regain his confidence ahead of a pivotal 2025 season. Bank when he put the NFL on notice, the former No. 2 pick finished top 10 in passing yards (4,108), yards per attempt (8.2), yards per game (273.8), and passer rating (100.8) while also tossing five interceptions.
As for the style of offense, Caley said he wouldn’t pigeonhole Stroud into learning one form. Targeting the right options in free agency should provide the former Los Angeles Rams coach a baseline of what he can call and must avoid to strengthen the offense.
“It’s always going to be what’s best for our players,” Caley said. “We’re not pounding a square peg into a round hole. It’s going to be based on the strengths of our quarterback and the guys on this team. That is what it will always be designed around.”