The Houston Texans have had quite the season. After hitting what appeared to be a grand slam with CJ Stroud at quarterback, along with other impressive rookies Will Anderson Jr., Tank Dell, and Juice Scruggs, the Texans won the AFC South and advanced to the Divisional round of the playoffs in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the team.
Instead, Houston has established itself as a true force in the AFC, and with an excellent quarterback and a young, up-and-coming roster core; one that, incidentally, has the fifth most cap space entering this offseason; Houston has the potential to be one of the NFL’s elite teams for years to come.
Bobby Slowik and Jerrod Johnson: Coaches in Demand.
However, the January coaching hoopla surrounding two of the Texans’ standout offensive coaching talent: offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, put a damper on things.
Slowik is a head coaching candidate for both the remaining coaching vacancies, the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks, and appears to be in line for one of the jobs after Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson elected to stay in Motown for another year.
Jerrod Johnson, on the other hand, has interviewed with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the open offensive coordinator positions. In reality, Johnson is a contender and leader for the Saints job after the Rams’ Zac Robinson was signed by the rival Falcons, and he is the only coach who has scheduled a second interview for the role.
Will the Houston Texans retain all of their key personnel?
Despite significant potential chances for both coaches, particularly Johnson, who would have taken on play-calling responsibilities in New Orleans, they have collectively elected to stay in Texas, according to Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer.
Why Are Both Coaches Staying in Houston?
While we don’t know the full details of what went into both coaches’ decisions, it’s worth noting that these stories broke within 30 minutes of each other, implying that there was some discussion between the two before they decided to stay in Houston.
Although Slowik had opportunities with other franchises, Houston appears to be uniquely well positioned for a strong future over the next half decade, and the opportunity to not only receive a’significant’ pay raise, but also compete for a championship and bolster his resume must have been too appealing for the former Shanahan disciple.
While there has been no report of a substantial raise for Johnson, given Stroud’s quick progress, one would expect the Texans to reward him fairly. Again, another year or two of working with CJ and Slowik may position him better for future success as a play caller for an NFL organization.
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