Texans' Nick Caserio ignoring preseason hype

Add general manager Nick Caserio to the list of individuals associated with the Houston Texans ignoring all the hype hovering over the franchise this summer.

"Yeah, I think anything that’s really discussed outside of the building doesn’t really have any relevance to us," Caserio explained during a Thursday news conference, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "We’re not going to spend any time on things that, quite frankly, don’t matter. Our expectations for the players is to come in with a good attitude, put a good foundation in place, be a great teammate, be resilient — because we’re going to face some things as a team, we’re going to face some things individually — and put the best version of yourself on the field each day."

The Texans emerged as one of the positive stories of the 2023 NFL campaign. Under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, Houston finished the regular season atop the division standings with a 10-7 record before the club completed a journey to the divisional round of the playoffs. 

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. later earned Rookie of the Year honors. Houston then added multiple big-name offensive and defensive talents to its roster this offseason.

Earlier this week, Bill Barnwell of ESPN mentioned how the Texans are arguably the top "trendy Super Bowl pick" ahead of August. Caserio suggested on Thursday that he isn't interested in discussing such forecasts.

"What’s said outside of the building, I mean, it has no impact on anything that we do," Caserio added. "Talking never won games. Expectations never won games. Good football and good execution wins football games, so, ultimately, that’s what it’s going to come down to. The rest of it — honestly, it’s a big waste of time for us to spend time on things that don’t matter or that we don’t control."

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Texans fifth among the betting favorites at +850 odds to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX. 

Houston is no longer an under-the-radar team, and how Ryans' players respond to that reality could go a long way in determining if they prove that last season wasn't a fluke for the organization.