‘He can spin it, he’s got the It factor,’ how Texans new OC Nick Caley approaches coaching C.J. Stroud

HOUSTON – Nick Caley has witnessed greatness firsthand from his background and interactions with legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, one of the most accurate and competitive passers in NFL history.

The new Texans offensive coordinator worked closely with prolific Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, a strong-armed gunslinger, as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator under creative coach Sean McVay.

Now, Caley takes over a Texans offense headlined by third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud, a former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year who emulates Brady’s even-keeled approach and is an admirer of Stafford’s style of play.

And Caley can’t wait to start working with Stroud, whose statistics declined last season while playing under heavy duress as he was sacked 52 times for the second-most in the NFL behind Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams.

The collaboration between Caley and Stroud will be a critical element of the Texans’ big-picture outlook.

“He can spin it, he throws the ball,” Caley said Thursday during his introductory press conference. “He’s an accurate thrower of the football. He is a natural thrower the football. He’s instinctive. He’s got the It factor. And he’s a warrior in terms of his competitiveness. I’ve admired him dating back to his college days. So I’m really, really excited to have an opportunity to work with him.”

How Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud ‘grew tremendously’ even in one of those ‘tough years’

One year after being named to the Pro Bowl and becoming the third quarterback in NFL history along with Tom Brady and Joe Montana to lead the league in passing yards per contest and touchdown-to-interception ratio, Stroud’s production went down to 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That was seven more interceptions than his rookie season when he passed for 23 touchdowns and five interceptions with 4,108 passing yards in one of the statistically best first seasons of any quarterback in NFL history.

Although there was a decline in overall efficiency and Stroud occasionally held the football too long or, worse, began anticipating hits and, at times, throwing off his back foot while backed up in the backfield due to an onslaught of big bodies coming at him full-force, he made adjustments to the situation as wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell were out for the season with knee injuries. Even within the struggles, Stroud took steps forward and displayed toughness and a competitive streak.

The emphasis for the offseason heading into a pivotal season: protect Stroud and get the maximum out of a talented young quarterback as Caley puts his personal imprint on the offense.

“We all know C.J. is a really great quarterback,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So, it’s just about developing that relationship with C.J. and also just putting C.J. and everyone else around C.J. in the best position possible for us to move the football down the field and score points.

“I think Nick is going to do a good job of that, building that rapport, relationship with C.J. And I think C.J. is already a great player, it’s just getting everybody on the same page. We’ve talked about that communication all eleven guys being on the same page, we do that and, instantly, C.J. will be better.”

Heading into his next season, Stroud has completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 7,835 yards 43 touchdowns and just 17 interceptions. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and second overall pick from Ohio State, Stroud undoubtedly has a lot of big things ahead of him as he tries to get the Texans to a Super Bowl.

Stroud has two AFC South division titles under his belt and a pair of wild-card playoff victories.

Getting the best out of Stroud could be a difference-maker for a franchise that’s 0-6 in the AFC divisional round as the lone team in the conference to never reach the AFC championship game in the history of the team.

The chance to work with Stroud was a major selling point for Caley to accept the position after turning down opportunities in the past with the Patriots and the New York Jets.

“Really looking forward to working with C.J,” Caley said. “Tremendous talent, competitor, you talk about an ultimate competitor. Tough, instinctive and can make plays so I’m very excited. As a first-time coordinator, to answer the second part of your question, really excited to get the opportunity to evolve this scheme and it’s not going to be my spin.

“It’s going to be what’s best for our players. It’s always going to be what’s best for our players. 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.”

Caley emerged as the Texans’ choice after a search that included several candidates. The Texans interviewed and gave strong consideration to the candidacy of quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, who also interviewed for the Jets and Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator positions and is being retained after the Caley hire, per league sources.

Caley interviewed for the Texans’ offensive coordinator job two years ago, but Slowik was hired from the same San Francisco 49ers staff that Ryans was a member of as their defensive coordinator.

The Texans also interviewed Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, Washington Commanders assistant head coach/passing game coordinator Brian Johnson, Minnesota Vikings assistant offensive coordinator and assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski, Texans senior offensive assistant Bill Lazor, Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis and Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon. It was never confirmed if the Texans actually met with Chip Kelly, now the Raiders’ offensive coordinator, with a few sources saying they did speak with him. If the Texans had wanted to hire Kelly, they likely could have gotten that done.

Instead, they have hired Caley to rejuvenate an offense that dipped to 19th in scoring as they averaged 21.9 points per game and 22nd in total offense with an average of 319.7 yards per contest for a team that won its second consecutive division title under Ryans’ leadership.

Having a coach with Caley’s experience working in the creativity of the McVay system, an offshoot of the version of the West Coast offense first popularized by former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh and adopted by Mike Shanahan and Kyle Shanahan, is regarded around the league as a boost for the Texans’ outlook.

There will be familiarity for Stroud, who will speak the same language from a scheme standpoint as Caley. Caley is expected to put his own personal stamp on an offense in need of an overhaul and some new tweaks and wrinkles.

“He’s a special coach,” McVay said of Caley when he was contemplating interviewing for the Jets job he was viewed as a favorite to land if he had pursued the position that went to former Detroit Lions passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand. “He’s done a great job for us. I love everything this guy is about. I think it’s really cool when these guys are offered opportunities to be able to elevate themselves and you want to evaluate all options.”

Source: Texans to interview Rams passing game coordinator-tight ends coach Nick Caley on Thursday

Caley was hired by Ryans with input from Caserio and other key members of the organization, including consulting with players like quarterback C.J. Stroud during the process. Stroud was sacked 52 times to rank second in the NFL as he passed for 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in a drop-off from his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year numbers of 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Texans’ offense regressed under Slowik, who struggled to make adjustments on the fly when his game plan wasn’t clicking, didn’t adapt the protection schemes to better protect Stroud, who was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall in an AFC divisional round loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, and had lost the confidence of the locker room, including key offensive players as well as now-former colleagues on the coaching staff, according to league sources.

The Rams ranked 10th in passing offense last season as quarterback Matthew Stafford had 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

During joint practice session in training camp last August with the Rams, Stroud expressed his admiration for McVay and his offense.

“I am a super fan of his,” Stroud said. “The type of scheme he runs, the way he calls it, the way he uses guys in motion, and just a whole bunch of different things. He seems like a good guy and he just had some tips and pointers and also showed me a lot of love which I appreciated.

“I appreciate him more than he knows, just watching film and getting better from the stuff that he does in that offense along with Matt and those guys. It is definitely an honor just to know that he knows me, which is dope.”

Caley is a former Patriots tight ends coach who began his career as a student assistant at John Carroll, Caserio’s alma mater where he was a record-setting quarterback.

Caley’s first NFL coaching job was with the Patriots as an offensive assistant where he overlapped with Caserio. From that job, he was promoted to tight ends coach and spent one season coaching tight ends and fullbacks. He left New England in 2023 to become the Rams’ tight ends coach.

He was promoted to passing game coordinator before last season by Rams coach Sean McVay, one of the top offensive strategists and play-callers in the NFL.

Caley has previously interviewed for the Patriots’ offensive coordinator position.

He coached Gronkowski in 2017 who was named All-Pro that season. He has also coached Patriots tight end Hunter Henry, who praised Caley for his coaching acumen.

“Caley was one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had,” Henry told New England reporters. “He’s a tremendous football coach and a tremendous person too. I got two years with him and they were a great two years. He helped me grow in so many aspects of my game.

“How I can see the game, how I can run different routes, do different things in the run game. He was a terrific coach and he’s doing great things over there too. I know he’s been a big asset for them over there. He’s still one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had.”

Working in the Rams’ system has provided a boost to assistant coaches’ careers.

The latest McVay assistant to become a head coach is Liam Coen, who was the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator this past season.

Caley interviewed virtually for the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator job vacated by Coen, who’s now the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach.

Caley coached for several colleges before joining the Patriots, including Akron, Auburn, Iowa State, Eastern Illinois, Arkansas and Florida Atlantic. At Florida Atlantic, he recruited Texans starting linebacker and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair.

Caley grew up in Canton, Ohio, the same hometown as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and his brother, Ben McDaniels.

“I think Nick is a great leader,” McVay said last year. “He comes from a great pedigree. You talk about a consistent approach to the core beliefs and the things that are in alignment with winning football games. His ability to communicate, his background and knowledge that he brought from his experiences in New England, but then also his willingness to be able to learn and have a good feel for the landscape of the league.

“I think he sees the game from a big-picture perspective. He coaches the tight ends, but I have an affinity for that because that was my first position job. I think if you do it the way that Nick does it, you can really put yourself in a position to appreciate the nuances of everything that position has asked in terms of playing in line, playing detached from the core, being a part of the run game, being part of protections, being part of the progression in the pass game. He’s done that and he sees the game from an All-22 lens.”

Even in the setbacks, Stroud displayed signs of growth.

“I think we grew tremendously. I would say as a collective and personally,” Stroud said. “This year has had ups and downs, but I’m grateful for it all. It’s hard to learn on the mountaintop and in the wilderness. The valley is where you get your learning experiences. God is teaching you things at that time. This year has been one of those tough years. I learned more than ever that my rock is Jesus Christ. Whenever I hit rock bottom, I know I can lean on him.

“That’s what I’ve learned this year. To have another playoff win, there’s things to hold your head high for. I’m not going to hold my head down but, at the same time, it sucks to come out here and lose in the divisional round again. I’m super grateful for the tough and good times.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.