After moving on from Bobby Slowik last week, the Texans have added two more names to their list of offensive coordinator candidates.
Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis already interviewed for the job, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, and and Rams pass-game coordinator and tight ends coach Nick Caley will interview on Thursday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
This is Lewis’ first connection to an OC vacancy after a short but successful coaching career in Tampa Bay. The 39-year-old, a former NFL quarterback himself, coached Baker Mayfield to the two best seasons of his career in 2023 and 2024, the latter of which featured top-three finishes in passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, and success rate. Mayfield’s 106.8 passer rating in 2024 was 106.8, 10 points higher than his previous record, a remarkable turnaround for the former No. 1 overall pick. That reflects well on Lewis and will likely keep him in OC conversations in future offseasons if he doesn’t get the job in Houston.
Caley was a longtime Patriots assistant under Bill Belichick before joining the Rams in 2023 as tight ends coach. He added pass-game coordinator to his title in 2024, helping Los Angeles manage injuries to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on their way to the playoffs. While the Rams’ tight ends haven’t put up flashy statistics under Caley, they have been a crucial part of the offense as blockers. The 39-year-old coach has already interviewed for the Buccaneers’ OC job and has been mentioned as a frontrunner for the same gig with the Jets.
While Lewis has not worked directly under McVay, he will still be a branch on McVay’s coaching tree after working under Liam Coen in Tampa Bay. Coen began his NFL coaching career as an offensive assistant in Los Angeles in 2018 and later served as offensive coordinator in 2022.
Lewis and Caley are the third and fourth official candidates on Texans’ OC list, though a few additional coaches have been connected with the position. Here’s an overview of their search so far:
- Nick Caley, tight ends coach/pass-game coordinator (Rams): To interview 1/30
- Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed 1/27
- Chip Kelly, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Ohio State): Team has interest
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Saints): Mentioned as candidate; hired by Seahawks
- Bill Lazor, senior offensive assistant (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed 1/27
- Ben McDaniels, wide receivers coach/pass-game coordinator (Texans): Mentioned as candidate
- Jeff Nixon, offensive coordinator (Syracuse): Interviewed 1/27