The Houston Texans decided to part ways with Bobby Slowik after two seasons.
As a rookie offensive coordinator, Slowik was a hot name in the NFL. He helped Houston turn their offense around and C.J. Stroud won the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award under his guidance.
This season was a different story. Slowik regressed as a play-caller and couldn't help the offense get things figured out. His primary downfall was the inability to protect Stroud, who was sacked 52 times in the regular season — and another eight in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans is expected to cast a wide net in his search, but one name already stands out. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Texans could be interested in landing Chip Kelly.
Chip Kelly is a top candidate for the #Texans OC job. Per @jjones9 pic.twitter.com/JiUsJ8ZcmK
— Dylan Delgatto (@DDelgattoNFL) January 26, 2025
Kelly spent 2024 with the Ohio State Buckeyes, helping them win the National Championship. That was his first season with the team after spending the past six years with the UCLA Bruins as their head coach.
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A long-time college coach, Kelly isn't a stranger to the NFL. He was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 after a succesful run with Oregon. He was their head coach for three seasons and while it didn't work out with the Eagles, he showed enough promise that the San Francisco 49ers gave him a shot as their head coach in 2016.
Between the two teams, Kelly went 28-35 as an NFL head coach but it 81-41 in the NCAA.
Kelly is an innovative play-caller who would surely bring something new to the table if Houston decided to pursue this option. The only question is whether they could land him, as multiple teams are reportedly interested.