The Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley is seen before an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley, left, gives a fist-bump to backup quarterback Davis Mills during the second half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley, left, is seen alongside head coach Demeco Ryans, right, during the first half of an NFL football game in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle
Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley works with the offense during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Houston, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
When the Houston Texans departed for vacation two weeks ago after minicamp, offensive coordinator Nick Caley was among those who left town.
He spent the first week back home in Canton, Ohio, and planned to go on a two-week family vacation to Ireland afterward.
It’s a new experience for Caley, who rarely takes time off and has traveled out of the country only once in his 43 years.
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“I guess I’ve been sheltered,” he joked.
This six-week layoff for the Texans will be an opportunity for Caley and his staff to regroup before training camp begins next month. After a season that ended in the divisional round, largely because the offense faltered that night, Caley is trying to help the 2026 offense reach new heights in his second season calling plays.
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Last season, the Texans were hampered by several key injuries early on and an inefficient running game. It led to a slow start to the 2025 season as the offense struggled to find its identity. Caley had to adjust, and eventually the Texans’ offense found a formula that worked for 10 games, although it came apart after wide receiver Nico Collins suffered a concussion against Pittsburgh in the wild-card round and missed the loss to New England in the divisional round.
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Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw four costly interceptions in the loss.
When the season ended, Caley said he went back and looked at everything: what went wrong, what went right, how they could improve and what pieces they needed to accomplish that.
He spoke to the Chronicle in an exclusive interview recently. He admits that perhaps he was a little too ambitious coming in as a first-time play-caller, realizing the personnel on the roster didn’t fit what he was initially trying to do.
He said early in the season they had become too pass-heavy and needed to adjust.
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“You always want balance, and each game is a little different,” Caley told the Chronicle. “I think we found a way to even that out as the season progressed. So finding a way to do that. And balance doesn’t come necessarily in terms of a 50-50 run-pass ratio, but it’s also the usage of different players.”
That’s why Houston added several tight ends this offseason. The Texans signed veteran Foster Moreau to a two-year deal and drafted rookie Marlin Klein in the second round. Brevin Jordan is also returning from a knee injury that ended his 2025 season before it got started.
Those moves, along with the trade for running back David Montgomery, give the Texans greater flexibility.
“You can get bigger on the edges,” Caley said. “You can deploy different types of blocking schemes with different surfaces that you’re attacking. Tight ends are an extension of the offensive line.
“We can get sturdy, we can control the edges, that always is going to help.”
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With every offseason comes change.
ON C.J. STROUD: Nick Caley discusses relationship with QB
Perhaps the biggest change came after former quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson decided to leave. One source with knowledge of the team’s inner workings said the Texans never intended to part ways with Johnson, whom the staff got along with well. But they wanted a new voice in the quarterback room after Stroud’s struggles in the playoffs, and Johnson’s role was going to be reduced for the 2026 season — a major factor in his decision to pursue another opportunity.
After Johnson’s unexpected departure, Caley elevated Jerry Schuplinski, his mentor, to that role. His focus will be on helping C.J. Stroud return to playing like the quarterback who took the league by storm as a rookie.
Caley and Schuplinski first became close in 2015 shortly after Caley joined the New England Patriots staff. Caley was coming from the college ranks as a defensive coach.
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But in New England, his first job was as an offensive assistant, where he learned under Schuplinski.
“I cut my teeth under him,” Caley said. “I learned a lot from him. He showed me the ropes, threw me a four-inch-thick playbook and basically told me to get in the deep end and start swimming.”
Schuplinski recalled it similarly.
“When he started working in New England, he took over a lot of my responsibilities, so I was glad to dump that stuff on his desk and say, ‘Go ahead, buddy,’” he said with a laugh.
That relationship has stood the test of time, and Caley said he doesn’t know anyone better for the job. How Schuplinski helps Stroud grow could be the difference between the Texans being just a playoff team and a Super Bowl team.
“He’s extremely thorough,” Caley said of Schuplinski. “He’s a phenomenal teacher. He has the ability to take things that can be complex at times and break them down into very simple elements.
“He pours everything he’s got into our staff and the quarterbacks, and he’s got a high level of intelligence, a high capacity, very little ego and an extremely strong work ethic.”
Schuplinski, who was the assistant quarterbacks coach in New England during the team’s Super Bowl runs, helped with the Texans’ quarterbacks last season. Now he gets to run the meetings and lead the room.
Caley said he has seen Stroud take a leap this offseason. He sees a different comfort level from Stroud and said the communication between him and Schuplinski has been good.
“There was a lot of progress that C.J. and the offense made last year,” Caley said. “We continued to get better from the start of the season to the end of the regular season and just continued to make progress from week to week. So we’re going to continue to build on that. It’s a new year. C.J. has done a great job out here. Looks good. Locked in.”
As for Caley, he’s also looking to improve, adding that he feels more comfortable running the offense heading into his second season calling plays.
“All these reps are invaluable not just for the players but for the coaches too,” he said. “Starting with me. I’ve had a good spring, continuing to get better, continuing to stay hungry and keep rolling and growing through training camp. For me, it’s no different than what we tell the players — it’s just continuing to work at it and being honest with yourself along the way.”