The Houston Texans had an impactful offseason, which has the back-to-back AFC South winners in position to be successful for the long-term future.

Despite winning 20 games with Bobby Slowik as the offensive coordinator, Houston knew it needed a chance after losing back-to-back divisional round matchups. DeMeco Ryans fired his former colleague this offseason and landed Los Angeles Rams‘ pass-game coordinator Nick Caley to serve as a first-time play-caller.

While Caley might not have been an offensive coordinator before, his energy, spark and attentiveness have won over multiple Texans‘ players. Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins called Caley a ‘pro’ while C.J. Stroud said his new OC has ‘laid back personality’ but cares about the little details.

CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan named the best offseason move by each AFC team, and while Houston had some impactful additions, nothing else came close to the hiring of Caley as offensive coordinator.

“The Texans were busy this offseason, reshaping their offensive line and adding a number of new faces to the receiver room. However, the best addition they made came on the coaching staff with the hiring of Nick Caley as their newest offensive coordinator,” Sullivan wrote. “After Bobby Slowik fizzled, Caley comes to town with a tremendous résumé. The 42-year-old spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay, serving as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator. Before that, Caley rose through the NFL ranks working under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots, winning two Super Bowls in the process. His arrival should help turn the tide of a Texans offense that stalled out far too many times last season.”

Make no mistake, Caley was brought to Houston to elevate Stroud’s persona and creatre a more dynamic passing attack after a woeful finish in 2024. He’s also tasked with turning around an offensive line that allowed 54 sacks, including 52 against a quarterback with a sophomore slump.

It’s only the offseason, but Caley’s impact is already being felt in the locker room, and the hope is the results on the field follow suit with more than 10 wins and a division tilte this fall.