In a world seemingly turned upside down, the New England Patriots are in the doldrums and the Houston Texans are in the playoffs.
Having fixed Houston, could Nick Caserio triumphantly return to Foxboro to repair the once-proud Patriots?
While a good bit of the Bill Belichick-centered speculation has considered who the Patriots' next head coach will be, it's also worth wondering who could take over the franchise's general manager duties if/when there's a vacancy. To that end, some observers have nominated former Foxborough front office prescience Caserio to fill the hypothetical opening.
Caserio currently holds the same role, his first stint as a general manager, with the Texans, who on Saturday night beat the Colts to secure a playoff win after winning only 11 games in the three previous seasons. With New England set to hold a cushy position atop the NFL Draft board (currently slated to pick third entering the final weekend of the regular season), a potential GM opening in Foxborough would be among the NFL's finest.
But NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport doesn't foresee a reunion, explaining his position on NFL+.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they hired a new general manager in New England," Rapoport said. "But there are several other people in the Patriots' tree, Dave Ziegler would be one, Jon Robinson, there's some options there. This one is, I would say, the biggest question, going into Monday, is what happens with the Patriots."
Though he was often kept out of the spotlight, Caserio helped build a good bit of the Patriots' new-century dynasty through various scouting and front office roles, primarily the director of player personnel position held from 2008 through 2020. Caserio also served on Belichick's coaching staffs during the 2002 and 2007 seasons.
In Houston, Caserio has made the Texans one of the league's most pleasant surprises of the 2023 season. Under his watch, Houston has found traction in the post-Deshaun Watson era. with savvy draft picks led by receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, defensive standouts Derek Stingley Jr. and Will Anderson, and, of course, Rookie of the Year candidate quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Belichick and the Patriots will play their final game of the season on Sunday afternoon when they host the New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Time will tell if it's Belichick's final game as both the head coach and/or general manager.
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