Jan. 21, 2026, 4:19 p.m. CT

Here’s everything Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said at his end-of-the-year press conference, including an update on running back Joe Mixon, quarterback C.J. Stroud’s progression, targets for free agency and more.

I appreciate everybody being here. To close the book on the 2025 season, I would just say I’m really proud of this team. I’m really proud of what we accomplished. I’m really proud of what we have done organizationally. A lot of work that’s gone into this. A lot of people were involved in that process. But we have had the best three-year stretch in the history of the franchise. We don’t take that lightly. We understand there is still some work in front of us and that’s a challenge that lies ahead. The reality is, the more we are playing games in January, that’s where we want to be. You’d like to be playing a few more games in January and February and ultimately that’s the goal. That’s what we’re all striving for in this league. Ultimately, we feel like we’re more than capable of being able to do that. Now we’re flipping the page a little bit and focusing on the 2026 team building. That process will be fluid, as you all know. There is a lot of different things that take place. But I think it’s important for everybody, and DeMeco [Ryans] mentioned it the other day, I think from where we started the resolve, the leadership that he displayed… This franchise and this city is lucky to have the head coach that we have. I wouldn’t want to work with any other coach, be a partner in what we’re doing. He makes me better. I probably don’t make him better, but I think we’ve got a great relationship. We have a lot of respect for one another. We have a lot of the same philosophical beliefs in what we’re trying to do and accomplish. We understand there is work to be done and that’s what this offseason is about. Looking at everything that we’re doing, figuring out ways that we can improve, whether it’s individually, whether it’s collectively, whether it’s schematically, personnel-wise. But what the players accomplished this season, some of it historical relative to the franchise, historical relative to the league. What were we, the second team in the history of the NFL to start 0-3 and make the Divisional Round? That says a lot right there. Doesn’t mean we’re satisfied with being there. We know there is more work in front of us, but I think we’re all proud. I’m certainly proud to be associated with this organization. We got a great program. Proud of our program. I said this before the season started when we met in a tent there in August. I felt we had a good team. We had a good team. We have a good team. We got a lot of good players coming back. Excited about what’s in front of us. Excited to get started on 2026.

A couple of injury things because I’m sure I’ll be asked about them. I think DeMeco got asked about it yesterday. As it pertains to Joe [Mixon], here is what I would say. It was a very unique situation. I don’t think anybody really had any clarity from the start of the year until now. I would say Joe worked very, very hard to try to get himself ready to play football, it just never manifested itself and came to fruition. We’ll probably have an opportunity to see where he is in the offseason, relative to next year. But, again, it was very… It was as unique a situation, an injury as I’ve been associated with. I don’t want to call it a freak thing but just kind of a freak thing. Joe worked really hard, put his best foot forward and it just didn’t work out. Then Tank [Dell], I don’t think DeMeco got asked about him the other day. Tank is doing awesome. He’s been in the building every day. As a matter of fact, he’s here today. He’s got a great attitude. We would anticipate him being ready for the start of the offseason program. He’s in great spirits. He’s got a great attitude. Good player. I’m sure he’s excited. He can’t wait to get started. I saw him yesterday and he had a big smile on his face, basically like, ‘Now it’s time, because we’re focused on 2026.’ I’m sure I was going to get asked about them so I figured I would just address those couple of injury situations.

Question: On why there was uncertainty regarding RB Joe Mixon’s situation

Nick Caserio: “We haven’t seen Joe in a little bit. At some point we’ll see him and be able to evaluate where he is and based on that information, see what the status is moving forward.”

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Q: On if he would want RB Joe Mixon back if possible

“Yeah, he’s under contract so we’ll evaluate his situation and see where it goes from there.”

Q: On QB C.J. Stroud

Caserio: “Every player in the offseason is about improvement. What are some of the things you can do better? C.J. had a really good season. He’s done a lot of great things. He’s done a lot of great things for his team, a lot of great things for this organization. Any time you pass [Denver Broncos QB] John Elway in terms of what you’ve accomplished in a short period of time, talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback. C.J. played good football this year. It wasn’t our best day as a team when you go back and look at the game from Sunday [the AFC Divisional Round against New England]. You can’t turn the ball over. You look at the Divisional Round, the teams that turn the ball over, they lost the game. Buffalo [Bills] turned the ball over four times. [San Francisco 49ers QB] Brock Purdy and the ‘Niners [San Francisco 49ers] turned it over three times. [Chicago Bears QB] Caleb [Williams] threw three interceptions. In the end, our ball security… I think this was a franchise record for the fewest turnovers. We’ve shown that we can take care of the football. We did a poor job of it in the game the other day and it cost us. We still had an opportunity to win the game despite how poorly we played, which I would say that game was emblematic of the first three games. When you go back and look at it, the first three games of the season, that’s what happened. The reality is, what can we do better individually? As a player you got to look at some of the things you can work on and what are some of the things that you can do to improve your performance. So, again, I think taking care of the football for a quarterback, like… We talked about this, [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] and I talked to all the quarterbacks about this, including C.J., your number one job as a quarterback is to mitigate risk. Period. End of story. Every single play. If you do that, you’re going to give your team a pretty good opportunity to win. If you don’t do that, it’s probably going to be a little bit harder. Drake [Maye] put it on the ground the other day a couple of times. Unfortunately, we put it on the ground more. That’s why the result was the result.”

Q: On how the organization can improve the offense this offseason

Caserio: “We’re focused on building a good team. That’s what we do every year. We got a lot of good players on offense. We’ll try to put the best team together we can for the 2026 season and go out and try to play winning football. In the end it’s not about offense or defense or special teams. It’s all three phases. Everybody is involved. We got a lot of good players throughout the building. In the end it’s about how do you execute with the opportunities we have on each Sunday or Monday, whenever we play. That’s what the focus will be.”

Q: On if he expects RB Joe Mixon to play next season based on what he knows now

Caserio: “It’s honestly hard to answer that right now because we haven’t seen him in a little bit. At some point we’ll see him, get a better idea, maybe do some follow-up examinations and get more information. Once we have more information, I think we’ll be able to make a better assessment.”

Q: On if there’s a reason they haven’t seen RB Joe Mixon despite other injured players being in the facility

Caserio: “Actually, that’s not correct. We had some players who were here and some players who weren’t here. Every player is in their own situation. At some point, we’ll have an opportunity to visit with all our players before the 2026 offseason starts. At some point we’ll have an idea where everybody stands.”

Q: On Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley

“I would anticipate Nick [Caley] being here next year. I think Nick learned a lot, [in his] first opportunity as a play-caller. I would say, offensively, probably the last two to three months of the year played pretty good football and did a lot of good things, so there was growth and improvement. There is always areas we can improve and get better. DeMeco [Ryans] mentioned the other day this next couple weeks right after the season is looking at everything, go through coaching staff, going through other aspects of the staff. Is there anything we have to do? Then we’ll look at some things schematically, start to go through the self-scout, try to figure out what are some of the things we did well. DeMeco started this when he got here, the other side of the ball basically goes through and watches their respective sides. The defensive coaches will basically go through and watch the entire offensive season. Offensive coaches watch the defense. It’s basically just for observations. ‘Hey, through that lens what do you see? Hey, what are some of the things we did well? What are some things that caused problems? What are some of the things that… Maybe a little bit less of this, whether it’s schematically or personnel-wise.’ There is good communication. I think it’s a great exercise. We didn’t do anything like that in New England, but I think there are some teams that do that. What we’re trying to do is say, ‘Hey, we know where we are as a team.’ Sometimes when you’re working on one side of the ball you see it through one lens. When you’re on the opposite side of the ball you see it through a different lens. The rapport among the staff is really good so we can communicate honestly and openly with each other. It speaks a lot to who DeMeco is. That’s what we’re going through right now. I would anticipate Nick being here next year. All of us are just trying to improve and do what we can to make the team and the organization better.”

Q: On if the team is doing everything they can to build around QB C.J. Stroud

Caserio: “In the end, we’re trying to do what’s best for the team. This program is not about one individual, so we’re not building a team based on one person, one facet of anything. We’re trying to look at the big picture. It doesn’t affect how we look at the team. What do we need to do to build the best team possible, put the best team together and then give ourselves the opportunity to compete on a weekly basis? We’ve certainly done that. We put ourselves in a good position. In the end I would say our shortcomings come down to execution. When you look at the game the other day [the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots], you can’t turn the ball over five times. We control that. I would say the three touchdowns that New England scored we didn’t play the coverage or the technique the right way on calls that we have done countless times. In the end, we’ve proven that we could do it, but in games of that magnitude, the margins are as small as any and you either make the plays and do the right thing, or you don’t. In the end, the players know that too. Talking to some of the players on Monday, they know it. When they’re articulating it that’s what you want to see and hear. That tells you you’re on the right track. In the end, it’s about the team. Let’s build a good team and get the best 53 guys. Like we’ve talked in October, before the season, whoever comes in this building, at some point they’re probably going to have to play. That’s where we try to build as much depth throughout the roster, because at some point we’re going to need everybody. This program is not about one person. It’s not about one individual. It’s, ‘Can we put the best team out there?’ In the end, the team that wins the Super Bowl is the best team. That’s the truth.”

Q: On contract extensions

Caserio: “I would say contractually, we haven’t talked publicly about anybody’s contract. I would say every situation with every player is case by case, so we’ll handle business how we handle business. Everybody is in different categories, so we’ll take it case by case and deal with one player at a time.”

Q: On DE Will Anderson Jr. and a possible contract extension

Caserio: “Similar answer. We’ll take it case by case. Will [Anderson Jr.] is a good player. We drafted him because we thought he was a good player and he’s been a good player. He’s improved each year. Again, there is never a linear path on any of this. I’m sure you’ll be calling the agents all the time, asking what’s going on. We’ll take it one day at a time and figure out what makes the most sense for the organization.”

Q: On picking up QB C.J. Stroud and DE Will Anderson Jr.’s fifth-year options

Caserio: “There are some things business-wise we’ll look at and discuss. That’s what the offseason is about. There is a timing element that’s involved in some of that. We’ll work through it here, I’m sure, throughout the course the spring.”

Q: On how he thought the offensive personnel changes from last season unfolded this season

Caserio: “We feel that we got contributions from everybody. The big wholesale change or overhaul was the offensive line. We talked about that at different points. We talked about it in October as well, because it coincided with the Cam [Robinson] trade. Going back to the spring, [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] and I both felt we would have a pretty competitive [offensive line] group. We felt that it would be improved. In the end up we end up with one player that started who started… I know Tytus [Howard] played multiple positions, but he was really the only [returning] player. The rest of the offensive line was a number of new players or changing spots. Overall, I would say that group certainly improved. I think [Offensive Line/Offensive Run Game Coordinator] Cole [Popovich] did a phenomenal job with that group, him and Coach [Zach] Yenser. We ended up, like we talked about earlier, using everybody. Eventually, it settled down once ‘Tae’ [Aireontae Ersery] was able to settle in at left tackle. ‘Tae’ played really good football. I would say he made some young football player mistakes and there are some things technique-wise he can improve. We felt once Trent [Brown] got healthy, he would go out there and play pretty good football, and he did. I would say Jake Andrews gave us a good level of play. He probably played, honestly, hurt. He probably played on one leg for about half the year, which speaks to his toughness. Then Ed [Ingram] had a good year. He probably had his best year. He’s a free agent. We’ll have to see how that goes. Overall, certainly improved. There are always things we can do better, but we got contributions from everybody. Blake [Fisher] had to go out there and start against the [Los Angeles] Chargers, and played pretty good football. ‘J. Patt’ [Jarrett Patterson], we’ve always viewed him as a swing guy, inside, sort of that sixth, seventh offensive lineman. That’s the role that he had. We have some players who will be free agents in that group and some players under contract for next year, so I’m sure it’ll be some different players in that group next year. But we also have some guys that are under contract who are coming back. I’m looking forward to putting that group together, but overall, they were improved. I think the pass protection was improved. Certainly, was improved relative to last season. It’s always a combination of factors involved. There is personnel, a scheme, a lot of different things. It’s not one particular thing. But, overall, that group played pretty competitive football from start to finish.”

Q: On him anticipating Offensive Coordinator Nick Caley returning next season

Caserio: “We’re working through it right now. DeMeco and I talk every day. I don’t think I’m speaking out of school here. If I am, then someone will beat my ass.”

Q: On if he can disclose what happened to RB Joe Mixon

Caserio: “He didn’t do anything off the field. It wasn’t like he was riding a snowmobile. It was more of a medical condition or situation that just never… It really didn’t improve, maybe as much as everybody would’ve hoped. I’m not trying to evade the question. I think that’s the reality of the question. He didn’t jump off a building; he wasn’t cliff diving. He wasn’t doing anything irresponsible. It was a freak thing. Honestly, I’ve never seen it, the condition.”

Q: On if he hopes that situation with RB Joe Mixon will improve for next season

Caserio: “We’ll see. Believe me, I’m not smart enough to be a doctor. I’ll leave that up to the medical experts. Going back to some of the earlier questions, as we get more clarity, more information, we’ll see where we are moving forward.”

Q: On if he has any indication as to whether WR Tank Dell will be able to compete at a high level after recovery

Caserio: “To be determined. He worked very hard. I think our performance group, they do a really good job. I think the players feel that. We have the resources available. Each player is a little bit different, so what’s required for one player might be different for Tank and his situation. But I would anticipate him being available for the offseason and then really April, May and June we’ll probably have a better idea. Once you get on the field you probably have a better visual representation of what that looks like. If you clear that hurdle, then training camp is more of like, ‘Okay, what does this actually look like?’ Knowing Tank, he’s probably cautiously optimistic that he’s going to be able to go out there and be Tank Dell. I think everybody is hoping that’s the case, but you never know. Injuries are… None of us control injuries and what happens. But I think everybody is rooting for Tank. He’s worked very hard and had a great attitude. I’m excited to see him out there moving around. Nobody is more excited than he is, so it will be good once we start getting on the field and getting on the grass to see what that looks like.”

Q: On how he weighs a player improving from one year to the next when making roster decisions

Caserio: “That’s the $100 million question. You have to go off what you’ve seen to this point, and I would say with younger players, there certainly is a projection element. They have a body of work that you’ve seen and then you project a certain level of improvement and growth that you hope takes place. That doesn’t guarantee anything. Then you look at your team, what the expectation is for the role, and as we get into free agency, supply and demand, what’s available, what are our options? Do we have an option already in place that’s comparable to what’s on the market? Is there an opportunity to upgrade that? The [NFL] Draft is its own entity. I think our philosophy on the Draft is get good football players in here with the right mentality and mindset, regardless of the position that they play. That’s how we approach it, philosophically. That’s what DeMeco and I believe in. That’s how we’ll go about it. You have to take inventory of what you have, who has played, who is under contract. What does that look like moving forward? I think we have right now 55, 56-ish players under contract for 2026. That doesn’t mean they’ll all be here, but if we had to line up and go play a game tomorrow with those 55 [players], what does that look like? How do we feel about that? I would say certain positions, from a volume standpoint, feel pretty good. Other positions we just don’t have a lot of supply. So, where does that exist? Where do we go find it? It’s a good question, but that’s the balance and that’s what we work through here. Understanding even whatever we think it is, then we go to training camp, something changes, something happens and there is a player that’s going to end up on this team in November and December that we’re not even thinking about or talking about that’s part of the calculus. Ja’Marcus Ingram this year, Damone Clark, players like that. I would say those are a little bit more need based. ‘Hey, we lost a player. What are our options?’ In the spring it’s a little bit more of there is a vast array of people available. Free agency is step one, what does that look like? The Draft, that’s step two. We’ll go from there. We have eight picks, call it eight picks. I’m sure that number will change. Let’s call it eight Draft picks. However many players we have on contract, undrafted free agents. The players can come from everywhere. Hopefully that answered your question a little bit.”

Q: On when he thinks the window of opportunity for a Super Bowl will close

Caserio: “It’s always open in our book. You can build a team a myriad of different ways. Contracts are contracts. You can fit them however you need to fit them. How do you keep good players, what does that look like? There is a little bit of balance in, ‘Okay, how are they structured?’ Got to stagger them. Look around the league, there are plenty of teams that have highly paid players, like eight to ten of them. The Lions, they got a good team. They had a down year this year but got some of the best players in the league. They found a way. There is always a way. You got to be creative. You try to think a little bit ahead. We’ve sat here, we’ve talked how we look at the team building in two-year increments. Not, ‘Well, here is the window.’ It’s more of the contracts, what do those look like? Some contracts will run off, some will come on. How do you balance that off? In our book the window is always open. We’re going to try to put together the most competitive team possible every year. However we do that we’ll fit the contracts and whatever those look like and go from there. So, that’s kind of how we view it. Again, I can’t speak to other teams and their philosophy. Our goal is to have a good team every year and we’ll figure out a way. Whoever plays, we don’t really care. Tommy Togiai wasn’t a figment of anybody’s imagination two years ago and he’s now one of our best defensive players. He got here in the middle of last year, in October, on the practice squad. The guy played as well as any defensive tackle in the league. There are players out there everywhere. Our job is to find them. The contracts are the contracts. That’s kind of its own entity. We’ll deal with that accordingly.”

Q: On what he wants to see from WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel moving forward

Caserio: “Two really good players. Excited about their future. I think ‘Higgs’ showed he has a chance to be a really good player. He was as productive as any of our offensive skill players over the last month or two of the season. J. Noel’ showed what he can do in the return game. He’ll probably get some more opportunities here offensively. Two good football players. That receiver room, if you didn’t do anything, which I’m not saying we will or won’t, but if you didn’t do anything, it’s a pretty good room. ‘Higg’, Noel, Nico [Collins], [WR] ‘Hutch’ [Xavier Hutchinson]. Nobody talks about ‘Hutch’, but nobody has improved more from the time he was drafted to where he is now. He’s become one of our most dependable players. Talked about Tank a little bit. Justin Watson in under contract. [Christian] Kirk is free agent, we’ll see how that goes. [Braxton] Barrios is a free agent. We’ll see how that goes. It’s a pretty good room. Feel like we can go out there and play good football with that group. So, great kids, great attitude, good teammates, selfless, no ego. They just go out there and work and do their job. ‘J. Noel’ showed his versatility as a punt returner, kickoff returner. When he played offensively, he made a lot of plays. So, I’m sure we’re going to see more J. Noel next year.”

Q: On Assistant General Manager James Liipfert receiving interest from other NFL teams

Caserio: “I have a lot of respect for James. I’ve known him a long time. Probably known him as long as anybody in this building. Hired him as a scouting assistant. Finished his career at Georgia Tech. He hadn’t been involved in scouting, probably didn’t have much of an NFL career ahead of him. He knew that. He wanted to get involved in football, so I hired him as a scouting assistant and he’s grown, done a great job. Great person, great family. Works really hard. I rely on him for a lot. He’s earned his opportunity, so credit to him. Whatever the [Atlanta] Falcons decide to do, but hopefully he’s here helping the [Houston] Texans. He’s fortunate to have the opportunity and I’m sure he’ll do a good job with it. I think we’re pretty fortunate. We feel like we got a lot of really good people in the building across departments, scouting, sports performance, coaching, and I think that’s…DeMeco and I believe in bringing in good people, teaching them and developing them. Our responsibility to everybody in the building is to try to help them as much as possible and let them grow. That’s our fiduciary responsibility to each other. I’m happy for James. There are some other folks I think will get some opportunities and looks. That’s what this time of year is about. You guys look around the league. The amount of movement that takes place is mind-numbing. But everybody gets an opportunity. We all got an opportunity. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity back in the day. It’s really what you do with it. Happy for James and [we’ll] see how it goes.”

Q: On if he feels more could have done with the offensive personnel this season

Caserio: “I would say we had one of the best teams in the league. We went out there and competed with every team that we played. The most important statistic is winning games. That’s what we’re focused on. We had a good enough team to play any team we played. In the end we didn’t execute well enough. You can’t turn the ball over five times in the Divisional Round. Taking care of the football is the single most important stat correlated to winning. Look it up. It’s the truth. If you don’t turn the ball over, you enhance your chances of winning, it’s 85, 90%. So, that’s the most important stat. Turnovers, taking care of the football. Look around the league. In the end, we had a good enough team to beat anybody. We played with every team in the league. There is more room in front of us. In the end, if we execute better, we’ll still be playing. I’m not trying to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”

Q: On QB C.J. Stroud

Caserio: “Every year you start from scratch. Everybody is focused on individual improvement. So, [QB] C.J. [Stroud] has played a lot of good football, won a lot of games, done a lot of great things for this organization. I think all of us are excited about the opportunity in front of us for the 2026 season. It’s a year-to-year league. We’re focused on the 2026 season, trying to put out best team together. Hopefully put ourselves in position we can go out there and play football and win a bunch of games.”

Q: On if WR Tank Dell could be signed to an extension to alleviate the pressure of his time missed due to injury

Caserio: “It’s case by case. You look at everything to figure out what makes the most sense for the organization. Players are a part of it, but it’s pieces of a puzzle. You got all the puzzle pieces. How do you fit them together? We’ll look at everything and how to line the deck chairs and we’ll be prepared. I think the one thing we’ve shown is our ability to pivot and adjust and handle and adapt. I think that’s one of the hallmarks of this organization. [Head Coach] DeMeco and I philosophically view things that way. You never get too caught up in doing one thing a particular way. I think the more you’re open-minded and maintain some level of flexibility, it just gives you more optionality. So, we’ll look at everything. It’s always case by case. Ultimately, we’ll feel what we do makes the most sense by everybody involved.”

Q: On if there are any lessons he has taken from free agent signings that haven’t played out like he expected

Caserio: “Look, good players. They helped our team. I would say, and I’ve said this, every decision, every player you bring in, maybe doesn’t go the way that you think or hope it’s going to go. Some of it’s in your control, some of it is not. All we can do is look at it, deal with reality and just press forward. We try not to get too caught up in one particular thing. I think DeMeco [Ryans] and I kind of look at things that way, that’s probably why we get along so well.”

Q: On how he thinks QB C.J. Stroud handled the hurdles he faced this season

Caserio: “He’s said this. It was hard. Any time you deal with difficult situations, adversity, in the end you’re the only one who can handle and respond to it. Our job as an organization is to support our players and give them every resource they need and feel like they have going to environment to come to work. I would say players that come in this building love being here. They know what we’re about, they know what DeMeco is about, they know what I’m about. In the end we’re just trying to win football games with the right people. We understand this league is hard. It’s really hard. We’re all going to have to deal with stuff. It’s not easy, but honestly that’s where you get the joy, at least I do, is just in the fight. Nothing is easy. Everything is earned. That’s the beauty of everybody has the same opportunity. All 32 teams, whenever the Super Bowl is played, are going to have the same opportunity. I think our division has become a really competitive division. I’ve said this, Jacksonville [Jaguars] has done an awesome job. [Executive Vice President of Football Operations] Tony [Boselli], [General Manager] James [Gladstone], Liam [Coen] did a great job this year. I think Tennessee is going to be much improved. I think Coach [Robert] Saleh is a hell of a coach. Coach [Shane] Steichen and the Colts. They’ve shown year-in and year-out they can compete with anybody. We’re going to have our work cut out for us in the division, but that’s why this league, when you go 1-32, the gap between 1 and 32, it’s not as big as the numbers suggest. So, you got to embrace it, and it’s okay to fail, but you’ve got to pick yourself back up and try to come up with some answers and solutions. That’s how we approach it.”

Q: On how to get to a point where player execution is consistent

Caserio: “I think we do, because again, we turned the ball over the least amount of times in franchise history. Every detail, every practice, every day, every meeting, it’s all important. So, I think as a player, in the end it’s a players’ game. The players take ownership. You have to have a heightened awareness that any little, small thing, like playing a wrong technique. Your leverage on this play is a supposed to be inside leverage. You’ve done it 90 times. Why the 91st time do you play with the wrong leverage? This league is about discipline, consistency and doing it every single snap, every single play. I would say our responsibility is to make sure that we bring the players in that, A, understand it, B, have the mental fortitude to do it. It’s not easy but it takes work and it takes communication. That’s, in the end, what makes a team good. So, everybody has good players. Those, I would say, small details, those finer things, those are the things that if you do them right…There is a reason we won ten games over three months or whatever it was. We were doing more of those things. When there are gaps, against good teams, the margins are smaller. We’re trying to make an improvement on the margins. That makes sure that every single day… Again, we will probably be playing 400 games at some point. It’s a long season. Every week matters. Every practice matters. Every meeting matters. Every walk-through matters. DeMeco talks to the team about this all the time. I would say the majority of the time we do a really damn good job of that. When there are gaps, you got to go back and look and say, ‘All right, did I really do what I was supposed to do or did I kind of…’ In the end that’s player accountability and ownership.”

Q: On how to evaluate players based on their recent performance versus their body of work

Caserio: “You got to be careful taking into a snapshot of, ‘Well, here is what it is.’ You got to look at the entire body of work. This is actually getting into the Draft a little bit, okay, look at the players’ body of work. Players started 45, 50 games. You’re looking at their body of work as opposed to, ‘Well, they did this in this game.’ Over the totality of it, what does it look like? Then you got to be able to say, ‘Here is what we think it’s going to be.’ With NFL players, some players have more body of work than others. So, you’re looking at the whole body of work. If they’ve shown the ability to do things at a certain level, then it means it’s in there. It’s like, all right, what else can you do? Every year you’re starting from scratch. I think each player looks at it and, ‘Hey, I’m going to focus on this. This is the offseason.’ Whatever your list is, if we’re going to have a checklist for the players when they come in the building. ‘Hey, these three or four things, here is what we’re looking for relative to improvement.’ Then you can look at the end the year. Did they improve that or did they not? It’s ongoing, very fluid. Again, you have to look at everything. You can’t look at one particular play, one particular game, one particular situation.”

Q: On Head Coach DeMeco Ryans’ performance this season

Caserio: “It was phenomenal. He [Head Coach DeMeco Ryans] was unbelievable. I would say his consistency, how steadfast he was and being able to get the issues fixed and addressed. Honestly, not really losing sleep or losing his mind. Here is what I would say: DeMeco is one of the best human beings I’ve ever been around in my life. He is also one of the most competitive individuals that I’ve been around, which is why I think we resonate with one another. I think we’re both very competitive. He’s so genuine, so sincere. He treats everybody the right way. I’m fortunate to be around him on a day-to-day basis. He did as good of a coaching job as any coach in the league this year. He’s not going to win Coach of the Year but you can make a very compelling argument that he should be based on what we did with this team from where we started to how we finished. Everything starts with leadership. Everything starts with the head coach. I think he’s grown. You can ask him. He’s grown from the time he started until now. Obviously, the play call thing, passed that to [Defensive Coordinator] Coach [Matt] Burke. There is no ego with him at all. He just wants what’s best for the team and what’s best for this organization. Period. End of story. I can’t say enough great things about him, the job he’s done. Grateful for the opportunity to work with him on a day-to-day basis and looking forward to working with him on building the 2026 team.”

Q: On looking at QB C.J. Stroud’s collective performance rather than particular games

Caserio: “If we want to go game by game, we don’t win the Kansas City [Chiefs] game without C.J. Stroud. Again, that’s one game. He’ll be the first to tell you he didn’t play well on Sunday. I’m not going to sit here and tell you he played well either. He knows that. In the end, got to learn from it. What can we do better? Moving forward… Look at his body of work. This guy has been a damn good quarterback in this league for three years. It’s the truth. Again, you want to look at everything in totality and every player, look at their situation. It’s all case by case.”

Q: On the tight end position and updates on TEs Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover

Caserio: “Both those guys, Dalton will be okay. I don’t think it’s anything major. Cade avoided serious injury. I think he’s going to be okay. Probably going to be ready for the offseason program. Probably not as bad as it looked. It looked pretty bad. I think he’s going to be okay. Overall, got pretty good production from that group. Dalton had a really good season. Broke the franchise record for career receptions by a tight end. A guy whose record he broke was a damn good player. You guys know him very well. We played against ‘OD’ [Former Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels] multiple times in New England. Dalton had really good year. He was healthy. Quite frankly wasn’t healthy last year. He’s not going to say anything and make an excuse but got really good production from them. I think we were planning on Brevin [Jordan] being a big part of it. Unfortunately went down a little bit. Cade showed his versatility. Harrison [Bryant], able to give us some snaps there a little bit. Overall, pretty solid group. If there is an opportunity for us to improve, we’ll certainly look at it relative to what our options are, but overall good group. Works hard. Very professional. Dalton had really good year, very dependable, very instinctive and a very smart player.”

Q: On what can be done to improve the overall talent on offense

Caserio: “The goal is the same: Try to put together a good team and get players in the building that we feel can go out there and play winning football with. It’s a combination of things. Make sure we got enough players. Are we doing some things schematically, there are some things that popped up in those games. You look at those games and other games as well, look around the league. What are some teams doing? What are some things you might be able to incorporate? So, again, offense has really never been… [Head Coach] DeMeco [Ryans] and I have never sat it our office and said, ‘Offense is a concern. What do we got to do?’ Got to play better. There are some things we can do better. To build a good team, try to get good players in here with the right mentality and right mindset. Again, I guess [WR] Nico Collins isn’t a good enough player, so maybe we can find a player better than Nico Collins. I don’t know. Try to do the best we can, try to bring good players in this building. Try to put together a good team that gives us a chance to compete each Sunday.”