Don’t look now, but Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is likely back on the sidelines at NRG Stadium for the 2026 season.

The Philadelphia Eagles have hired Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, making him the new play-caller in place of Kevin Patullo, who was fired following a disastrous first season as the team’s offensive coordinator following Kellen Moore’s departure.

Advertisement

Johnson, who previously worked under Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni as an offensive quality-control coach for the Indianapolis Colts, was a finalist for the job and among the candidates who received a second, in-person interview ahead of Thursday’s decision, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. This marks the second time that Johnson has interviewed with the Eagles in as many seasons.

A former star quarterback at Texas A&M, Johnson has interviewed for several offensive coordinator positions in the past, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, and New England Patriots openings over the past three cycles. Last year, he was viewed as a favorite to be promoted after Bobby Slowik’s firing, but Houston instead elected to hire Los Angeles Rams pass-game coordinator Nick Caley.

Johnson, 37, has coached Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud since he was in high school at the Elite 11 competition. The two remained close while Stroud attended Ohio State and reunited in Houston following his selection No. 2 overall in 2023. Over the past three seasons, Johnson has helped Stroud earn a Pro Bowl selection while guiding the offense to three playoff appearances.

Advertisement

He was also influential in helping Stroud earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023.

“Jerrod has done a great job this year,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I’ve definitely seen growth in him as a coach and how he’s done a better job of working with the quarterbacks. He’s given those guys a lot of pointers, a lot of tips, especially from him being a guy who played the position.”

While the offense has gone stale, it’s still expected that Johnson will be back with the Texans entering Super Bowl week. There’s still several offensive coordinator positions open, including the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns’ gig, two teams that could be looking for a quarterback developer. The Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals have also yet to hire head coaches this offseason, so both titles could be made available to him depending on who the hire is.

Advertisement

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is also the favorite to land the Raiders’ opening, so Seattle could be in the market for another play-caller after the Super Bowl next week. And if Josh McDaniels were to leave for his third head coach opening, Johnson could be under consideration with the New England Patriots to work alongside Drake Maye.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson misses chance on Eagles’ OC opening