Houston Texans OC Expecting One Big Change for C.J. Stroud

Heading into the 2025 NFL season, the Houston Texans will have a much-different outlook in a variety of spots around the team compared to their last campaign, but their biggest shift in the mix may be none other than their change at offensive coordinator, bringing in Nick Caley as this group's new lead offensive mind and playcaller.

It's a big assignment to take on for Caley. After a year of regression on the Texans' offensive side of the ball, the former Los Angeles Rams assistant now joins the fold in Houston with expectations to right the ship in their scoring unit, and with it comes the task of getting star quarterback C.J. Stroud back to a similar level of his rookie season for year three after suffering from a bit of a sophomore slump.

And for Caley, one of the biggest changes he'll have Stroud take on for the season ahead is the level of freedom in the Texans' offense.

During OTAs, Houston's OC has hinted at his expectations of their quarterback having more on his plate from the 2025 campaign, increased control at the line of scrimmage, and in the mind of Caley, should ultimately make Stroud a better, more versatile player.

"I think it's like anything else: the more you can do, the better off you're going to end up being," Caley said of Stroud at Texans OTAs. "He wants to have the ability to be able to have control. And when you're at that position, there's a lot of great value in being able to fix problems that come up, or unscouted looks that come up, and it doesn't happen overnight– that's for sure. It's repetition. It's comfort with the offense. He's working hard, he's done a good job, and we'll just keep growing that."