By design, the Houston Texans offense should look different in 2025 than it did in 2024. That’s the expectation when a new crop of pass-catchers and almost an entirely new offensive line enter the picture. But even more importantly, Bobby Slowik is out at offensive coordinator less than one year after he was one of the hottest names in coaching circles, and he’s been replaced by Nick Caley, who has an impressive yet altogether unique background.
Because Caley has experience under both Bill Belichick AND Sean McVay, in addition to the likes of Bret Bielema and Tom Herman at the collegiate level, what Houston’s offense will look like in 2025 remains something of a mystery. But it is ‘different’ than newly acquired wide receiver, Justin Watson, expected it to be when he signed in Houston.
“I don’t want to divulge too many secrets other than it’s going to be different. I thought I knew coming in what it might be like. But, I think it’s a mix of some things that he did in New England, LA, and then some ideas that he’s just had and we’ve picked up from around the league,” Watson told Texans radio announcer Marc Vandermeer on July 16. “We’ve definitely laid the foundation to be able to call anything that we want, whether it’s play concepts, motion shifts, guys in different spots. There’s going to be a lot of creativity and seeing a lot of guys in different spots.”
What Nick Caley’s Past Can Tell Us About Texans Future
With Justin Watson being so tight-lipped, and nobody else in Houston too eager to dive into what Nick Caley is cooking up for the likes of C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, Joe Mixon and co. this season, the best approach you could take if you’re trying to imagine what the Texans offense will look like in 2025 is looking at what Caley is familiar with.
Under Josh McDaniels, Caley watched as the Patriots made plenty of pre-snap reads and adjustments, beating opposing defenses before the snap. Back in April, Stroud teased that he would have “full ownership” of the Texans offense, offering a hint that Caley will be expecting him to be responsible for some of those pre-snap reads.
In Los Angeles, Caley was the pass game coordinator under Sean McVay. In McVay’s tenure, the Rams offense has utilized tight formations and pre-snap motion to build one of the most efficient and balanced offenses in the NFL. In 11 personnel, the Rams have run the ball more than essentially every other offense in the league. Their aerial attack uses west coast offense passing trees.
And then going back to his NCAA days, Tom Herman’s spread offense and Bret Bielema’s pro-style run-heavy, ball-control offense offers a unique contrast of styles that Caley can pull from.
Texans Offensive Ceiling Depends on Stroud-Collins Duo
No two players will be as important to the success of the Texans offense in Nick Caley’s first season as offensive coordinator than C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins. In short time, Stroud and Collins have matured into one of the league’s most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver pairings, though it’s fair to say that Nico Collins isn’t quite yet a household name.
It’s easy to imagine, though, a scenario where that could change in 2025, especially if Stroud gets better protection from the big fellas up front. With just a second or two more to let routes downfield develop, nobody would benefit more than Collins, who quickly became Stroud’s favorite target upon his arrival in Houston. And thus far, Collins has proven he’s worthy of all of those looks.
Since 2023, Nico Collins is one of just six receivers in the NFL who has at least 2,300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. It’s no wonder that in recent months, he’s been compared to everyone from A.J. Green to Julio Jones to Mike Evans.
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