While many around the Houston Texans organization has lauded the offseason moves of general manager Nick Caserio as of late, one team broadcaster isn't as convinced of the quality of his work.
Locked on Texans podcast host John Hickman just took a bold stance on the sixth-year executive in a clip posted to the outlet's X account on June 30th. "That would be a mistake," proclaimed Hickman, after beginning his dialogue with some behind-the-scenes speculation that he (Caserio) and the team had "quietly" agreed on an extension.
Hickman's strong opposition to Caserio's long-term future in Houston isn't a new sentiment around the city. However, the timing of it is what's interesting, considering how Caserio and co. just had one of the most aggressively productive offseasons in recent team history.
John Hickman says Caserio extension would be a "mistake"
While Hickman gave a personal acknowledgment that he felt like Caserio just had "his best overall year" to date, he still had his heels dug in on the notion that Caserio has been a net negative for the organization since his hire back in 2021. He expressed,
"Stroud was your saving grace at that quarterback spot when the last franchise quarterback [Deshaun Watson] saw that you [the Texans] brought in Caserio and didn't want any of it, didn't want any parts of it. Stroud came in, you also drafted Will Anderson, you also bring in Tank Dell. So, you've done some things in that time period. And it's like, that's great. But, there's a reason why this offensive line has not been good. There's a reason why the tight end room hasn't been good. There's a reason why the running success rate in Houston has been poor. There's a reason why for all of that, and I think it points directly to Caserio."
So, Hickman is seemingly alleging that, even though the team just enjoyed its best three-year stretch in franchise history from 2023-2025 (32-19 record, three consecutive double-digit wins seasons and three straight playoff berths), he feels as though Caserio's lack of effectiveness in those stated areas of weakness are why the Texans haven't gone any further than the AFC Divisional round during the aforementioned era of football.
While I can level with Hickman pointing out some of the whiffs that Caserio is responsible for prior to this point in time, I have to offer some light pushback based on the specific contextual variables offered by that of Deshaun Watson's trade request, offensive line issues and running back missteps:
Deshaun Watson says "no thanks" to Caserio
While Watson did in fact request a trade right after Caserio was hired back in 2021, I would disagree that Caserio by himself as the sole reason why he did so. Without engaging in conspiracy theories regarding off-the-field behaviors being an influence, I look at Watson's trade request as more of a response to the lack of stability from the organization as a whole at the time.
At that point, Watson was enduring:
- One of his best friends (and fellow Clemson alumni at that) in All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has just been traded (2020 offseason)
- The team went 4-12 in the following season (2020-2021)
- Former EVP Jack Easterby's presence becoming of the most polarizing stories in all of professional sports (2019)
- A convoluted general manager search process that allegedly involved a "coupe-like" move by Easterby to secure Caserio as the decision even though the hired search firm of Korn Ferry didn't recommend him (along with the now infamous "Ad Hoc committee" that was formed to help)
In short, I believe that Caserio's hiring was more of the crescendo of the moment, as opposed to the root cause of Watson's desire to exit the Bayou City.
Offensive line woes
In the 2021 season, Caserio began his tenure with an offensive line that featured:
- Left Tackle: Geron Christian
- Left Guard: Tytus Howard
- Center: Justin Britt
- Right Guard: Max Scharping
- Right Tackle: Charlie Heck
Since then, we've seen the likes of Scott Quessenberry, Kenyon Green, A.J. Cann, Shaq Mason, George Fant, Michael Deiter and Jarrett Patterson all attempt to fortify the offensive line to no avail. Give Caserio credit, while a lot of his moves didn't pan out, he's also shown that he's unafraid of moving on if the situations calls for it.
In 2026, Caserio has assembled one of the most accolade-littered units in his tenure, bringing in veterans like All-Pro guard Wyatt Teller and former Indianapolis Colts right tackle Braden Smith.
Along with that, he's drafted prospects like tackle Aireontae Ersery and guard/center Keylan Rutledge. This should be Caserio's best try at building that elusive blocking wall that Houston has urgently needed for years.
Lack of production at running back
To be fair to Caserio and the team, no one could've predicted that former Houston Pro Bowl running back in Joe Mixon would completely fall off the face of the earth right after a 2024 season in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards and over 10-plus touchdowns.
What really hurt Caserio in the eyes of fans and local media was the absence of a follow-up acquisition during the course of a 2025 campaign that featured an anemic rushing attack led by offseason addition Nick Chubb and rookie Woody Marks. Without that move, Houston's offense suffered to the tune of a bottom-five ground game that arguably had a major hand in costing the Texans their best chance at their first Super Bowl appearance in team history. In 2026, Caserio traded for former Detroit Lion David Montgomery as a means of addressing the matter.
Caserio has definitely made his mistakes along the way. Yet, one could say that about most executives in the NFL. Caserio has a chance in 2026 to prove that he's the definitive answer at the role for years to come. Even though Hickman and others have voiced their concerns, Caserio's remaining time in Houston will ultimately be decided by the results of the Texans' 25th anniversary campaign.
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