Why Cal McNair, Hannah McNair believe Texans can ‘take another step’ after being ‘pretty darn close’

PALM BEACH, Fla. – When the Texans trudged off the field in January at frigid Arrowhead Stadium after a crushing divisional round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the locker room atmosphere was somber and filled with frustration.

It was also filled with a healthy perspective considering the fact that the Texans are a young football team with a lot of returning talent.

The Texans, one year before, engineered a dramatic turnaround during coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season. Under the leadership of the former Pro Bowl linebacker, the Texans went from 3-13-1 the previous year under Lovie Smith to 11-8 with Ryans and winning the AFC South division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.

Although there was a lot of optimistic talk about a potential Super Bowl run last season, the Texans’ playoff run ultimately ended at the same stage of the postseason for the sixth time in franchise history in the second round of the playoffs.

“I really thought we were going to go all the way this year, and I felt it in every part of me, and you could feel it from the team, they believed it as well, and the belief is throughout the organization,” said Hannah McNair, the Texans’ foundation vice president, at the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers. “When we lost in Kansas City, that hurt a lot because we were right there and I thought we were going .. It was just a belief throughout the entire organization.”

Months after the defeat to the eventual Super Bowl runner-up Chiefs, in the middle of another busy offseason headlined by trading Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, trading for wide receiver Christian Kirk and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, overhauling the offensive line, making changes to the offensive coaching staff and signing cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and defensive end Danielle Hunter to blockbuster contract extensions, the Texans have set their ambitions on making a deep playoff run.

“The year before coming off the playoff loss, we felt we were a bit aways,” Texans principal owner Cal McNair said. “This year coming off the playoff loss, we felt we were pretty darn close. So, I’m sure in the offseason, the moves we’re making and we’ll have the draft, we’re looking to take another step and we’re excited to see what happens.”

The Texans traded away a five-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Tunsil, largely for financial reasons due to his desire for another top-of-the-market contract extension along with the opportunity to acquire valuable draft capital. They replaced Tunsil with veteran left tackle Cam Robinson at a lower price with a one year, $14.5 million contract.

The offensive line has been overhauled dramatically. The Texans lost four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency to the New England Patriots via a three-year, $69 million deal after having conversations with him and not being on the same financial plane.

One of the major reasons why Texans ownership is confident in the outlook is the collaboration between Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio as they work closely together on every roster move and key decision.

“We trust Nick and we trust DeMeco to do what’s best for the team,” Cal McNair said. “We have lost some really good guys and really good players, but we’re confident in their ability to do what’s best for the team and put a great product on the field. We can’t wait to see it.”

Hannah McNair cited the working culture at NRG Stadium as a key reason why there’s a strong belief in the present and the future for the organization.

The Texans fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and replaced him with Nick Caley. They dismissed offensive line coach Chris Strausser after the team allowed quarterback C.J. Stroud to be sacked 52 times in the regular season and 11 more times in two playoff games, replacing him by promoting Cole Popovich to offensive line coach and run game coordinator.

The relationship between Ryans and Caserio has forged a good roster and a professional working environment. The Texans, including Ryans and McNair, received A grades in an NFL Players Association annual players poll on NFL working conditions.

“He did a great hire is what it comes down to,” Hannah McNair said of Cal McNair’s decisions to hire Ryans and Caserio. “I think culture in the building, I think culture in the room with the decision-makers because comes down to knowing and challenging each other to get to the right place.

“I think that’s when you see these offseason moves with changing the OC, with changing the O-line coach, different things like that, they’re challenging themselves to get better and I think both of them want that. They both want to achieve what we haven’t yet.”

Added Cal McNair: “I think they both have a lot of respect for each other, too, and a lot of trust in each other, and they’re not letting their egos get in the way of making great decisions for what they feel is best for the team.”

When the Texans squared off with the Chiefs in an eventual 23-14 loss one week after blowing out the Los Angeles Chargers at NRG Stadium, the team hit the wall. The offensive line unraveled again as Stroud was sacked eight times and hit 14 times overall. The penalty issue that had plagued the team all season continued, and the team expressed frustration at some roughing the passer calls for borderline hits on Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Not having wide receivers Tank Dell, who suffered a devastating knee injury with multiple ligament tears and a full dislocation of his knee cap in a December road loss to the Chiefs, and Diggs, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in October, took a toll on the offense along with a loss of confidence throughout the building in Slowik’s play-calling and a failure to adapt his schemes and make adjustments.

The strength of the Texans is a defense led by a loaded secondary that includes Stingley, cornerback Kamari Lassiter, Gardner-Johnson, nickel Jalen Pitre and safety Calen Bullock, Hunter and Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and linebacker and team captain Azeez Al-Shaair.

“We had some key injuries down the stretch there,” Cal McNair said. “Especially our wide receiver room, that caused a bit of a blip there. We had a strong running game, receiver room, quarterback playing at a high level, defense playing outstanding, and, so with the offense clicking, defense going, we thought we really had a shot. So, we’re looking forward to this season and seeing what happens.”

Six times the Texans have reached the AFC divisional round, and six times the Texans have lost. They’re the only team in the AFC to never reach an AFC championship game.

The reason they’re hopeful in their ability to compete: a lot of young talent mixed with established veterans like Hunter and Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon.

The Texans have a core of young players, including Stroud and Anderson who will be eligible for contract extensions next year after their third NFL seasons. The Texans and Pitre have a mutual interest in a contract extension, per league sources, and it’s a matter of finding the right number for the Stafford graduate to keep playing for his hometown team on a long-term basis. Contract talks haven’t opened yet, but preliminary conversations have been held.

“The relentless mindset is so key and it’s all over our building right now and it’s really fun,” Hannah McNair said. “And Nick keeps drafting really well. It’s a great problem to have that we can’t keep everyone, but that speaks to Nick and DeMeco and getting the right guys in the building.”

The Texans, as they did with Stingley on a three-year, $90 million extension that made the All-Pro selection the highest paid corner in the NFL, want to keep extending as many young players as possible.

“They’re setting the standard,” Cal McNair said. “They have come in and set the bar at a really high level. They’re great teammates and great leaders and we’re really happy to embrace that and get young players and continue to see them evolve and mature. We’re really looking forward to seeing where that chapter is going to lead.”

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