Jan. 19, 2026, 6:01 p.m. CT

The Houston Texans aren’t closing the door on any potential staff changes entering the 2026 offseason, including a switch at the helm for the offense.

During his end of the year press conference, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was asked if he planned on making a switch at offensive coordinator following an underwhelming season from first-year play-caller Nick Caley. His response left the possibility open for a potential shakeup entering another offseason between quarterback C.J. Stroud and the offensive personnel.

 “I’m evaluating everything as we go throughout the week,” Ryans said. 

Caley, who joined the Texans after spending the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams as the team’s pass-game coordinator, had his bright spots, but also struggled to elevate the approach in Year 3 for Stroud. Houston finished 18th in total offense (327 yards per game) and 13th in scoring (23.8 points per game), a modest improvement, but still nothing as initially planned when hired this offseason.

Caley’s fate could come down to how the organization feels about the performance in Sunday’s 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots. Stroud, who still has not found his rookie groove in two years, threw four interceptions, including a pick-six, and struggled to move the ball on the road against a stable New England defense. Houston couldn’t run the ball, averaging 2.2 yards per attempt, thus adding more pressure onto the passing game without Pro Bowl wideout Nico Collins or tight end Dalton Schultz.

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Should the Texans move off Caley, it would mark the second season that Houston has fired its offensive coordinator. Ryans echoed a similar comment when asked about the status of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik last year, before eventually electing to fire him a week after the playoff loss.

Caley was caught in a challenging position with the offensive personnel entering the season and still managed to make do. The veteran offensive line ended up playing its best football to close out the regular season, allowing just two sacks over the final five games in the regular season. Rookie running back Woody Marks also became a stable lead rusher after entering the season as a secondary option.

But if the Texans were to make a switch, the available options could be viewed as upgrades. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady could be looking for a new gig after the firing of longtime coach Sean McDermott. Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken remains on the market despite the rumors of him joining John Harbaugh with the New York Giants.

Former Giants head coach Brian Daboll and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel have yet to land with teams since their departure and could look to take a year off from being the head option while resetting on one side of the ball. McDaniel, who guided Miami to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022 and 2023, previously worked with Ryans during their time in San Francisco and spent two seasons in Houston under Gary Kubiak.

Caley should feel safe entering the week, but anything could change by Friday if the Texans feel like they’ve reached a similar ceiling to that of 2024.