Former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was a hot name in the head coaching cycle last off-season, only to miss out on a job.
Fast forward one year later, and Slowik is now looking for work. It was reported Friday afternoon that the Texans fired Slowik, leaving a lot of questions for second-year quarterback CJ Stroud.
Houston has plenty of options to choose from, whether that’s outside the building or in-house. As Aaron Wilson mentioned after the news broke, this will be a thorough search for Houston. The Texans feel like they need to make a home run hire here, with Stroud entering a critical third season. Let’s take a look at several candidates for Houston.
Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson
Jerrod Johnson serves as the quarterback coach in Houston and was widely regarded as a lock to land as an offensive coordinator somewhere last year. Now, Johnson’s patience may have paid off, as he can remain in Houston and continue to coach the quarterback that he helped develop.
Johnson’s resume is impressive, serving as the assistant quarterbacks coach with the Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins in 2022. A season where Cousins threw for 4,547 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. The Texans may feel pressured to promote Johnson, with Albert Breer saying Johnson could be in the mix for the offensive coordinator position with the Jets.
Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley
Nick Caley is viewed as a bright young mind and is someone who likely will find a coordinator job somewhere this off-season. Coming from the Sean McVay tree certainly helps any candidate, but Caley is a rising star in the league.
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The Texans would have to move quickly with this interview, as Caley is the leading candidate for the New York Jets job under Aaron Glenn, Aaron Wilson also reported. This would be a home run hire for the Texans and one they can’t pass up.
New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak
A once highly regarded assistant with the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos, Klint Kubiak may need a change of scenery from the Saints. The Saints didn't give Kubiak much help on offense in his first season with the team and went through a plethora of different quarterbacks throughout the year.
Teams will come calling looking to interview Kubiak, and he shouldn’t pass up the opportunity. Kubiak has previous coordinator experience with the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent only one season as their playcaller in 2021. Kubiak likely won’t stick around New Orleans for a new head coach and has a very good chance of landing a coordinator position somewhere else.