The Houston Texans made the surprising decision to fire offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. (Photo … [+] by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
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It was this time last year that Bobby Slowik was considered one of the top head coach candidates around the NFL. He was coming off a 2023 season in which Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud put up an historic performance en route to leading the upstart team to a playoff spot.
At that point, the world seemed to be Slowik’s oyster. He seemingly could have his pick of the litter when it came to head coach openings. In fact, the Texans gave Slowik a raise to remain their offensive coordinator.
Fast forward a calendar year, and Slowik is surprisingly out of a job.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report on Friday that the Texans have fired Slowik after just two seasons in that role.
There is going to be a lot of debate about this decision in Houston and around the broader NFL. Houston is coming off a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Playoffs in what was a down season for the upstart club.
Whether it be because of injuries or other factors, these Texans did not take the next step to Super Bowl contention. Some say that Slowik ended up becoming the proverbial fall guy. But it’s a lot more complex than that.
Houston Texans Commitment To C.J. Stroud And How Bobby Slowik Didn’t Fit In
The Houston Texans future runs through C.J. Stroud. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Houston is building this team around the 2023 first-round pick. That isn’t a surprise given just how brilliant the former No. 2 selection out of Ohio State was as a rookie. He put up multiple records en route to winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
At issue here is the fact that Stroud went from looking like franchise guy in his first season to struggling to even be viewed as starter-caliber. The evidence is in the numbers.
- C.J. Stroud Stats (2023): 63.9% Completion, 4,108 Yards, 23 TD, 5 INT
- C.J. Stroud Stats (2024): 63.2% Completion, 3,727 Yards, 20 TD, 12 INT
The backdrop here included Houston general manager Nick Caserio bringing in Pro Bowlers in that of running back Joe Mixon and wide receiver Stefon Diggs to give Stroud more reinforcements heading into his sophomore season.
Injuries certainly played a role in the downtick in production. Diggs played in just eight games. Fellow wide receivers Nico Collins (five games) and Tank Dell (three games) also missed time to injury.
Even then, there seemed to be something off here. Some around the NFL point to opposing defenses figuring out what Slowik was doing on offense and planning accordingly. In short, they had figured him out. Stroud didn’t necessarily push back against this after an early-season game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
C.J. Stroud’s support for Bobby Slowik was not unconditional. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
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“I have the utmost faith in Slowik, and he has been great but we have to buy into the system just as much as he has to call great plays,” Stroud said, via KXAN in Houston. “We know we are all grown men, we have to all do our job.”
It isn’t that Stroud was calling out Slowik. It was more about everything seemingly not clicking. The lack of evolution as it relates to Slowik’s offense seemed to play a role in Houston’s decision-making process, as colleague Benjamin Albright points out.
“Slowik didn’t adjust his offense much from year one to year two and opposing defensive coordinators picked up on tendencies and specifically blocking,” Allbright posted on X. “The Texans believe that’s a large part of the regression of Stroud this season.”
Houston Texans Offensive Coordinator Candidates To Replace Bobby Slowik
Houston could go in a number of directions with a replacement. I am sure that head coach DeMeco Ryans will cast a wide net. But it starts internally.
Quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson would be a natural option to be promoted. He’s worked with Stroud over the past two years, and should be given a ton of credit for the quarterback making the jump to the NFL.
Kevin Wilson served as C.J. Stroud’s offensive coordinator at Ohio State. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon … [+] Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Former Tulsa head coach Kevin Wilson also makes sense. He served as Stroud’s offensive coordinator with Ohio State. The two have a great relationship.
It’s going to be all about whether Ryans wants to continue running the same type of scheme as what we saw from Slowik. It’s not that the scheme was bad. It was more about his utilization of it. After all, we’re talking about the hybrid Kyle Shanahan-West Coast Offense.
If Houston wants to keep the same scheme, two 49ers assistants will be in the running. That includes quarterbacks coach Brian Griese. He’s done wonders with 49ers star Brock Purdy.
Offensive passing-game specialist Klay Kubiak could also be an option. He is set to be promoted to offense coordinator by the 49ers. But being given the option to actually call plays in Houston would be more attractive for Kubiak. This is not happening with Shanahan in San Francisco.
Where Does Bobby Slowik Go From Here?
This obviously isn’t the last we’ve heard from Slowik. Some struggles last season won’t define his career. He’ll land on his feet this offseason.
The Las Vegas Raiders come to mind as a real option for Slowik. They just hired the defensive-minded Pete Carroll as their next head coach. He is going to want to bring in an experienced guy on offense.
A reunion with Shanahan and the 49ers could also be in the cards. That’s especially true if Kubiak heads to Houston. It would be an interesting dynamic and a way for the 49ers to bring the gang back together. They are on the verge of re-hiring Robert Saleh as their next defensive coordinator.
In the end, the Houston Texans are in the market for a new offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Bobby Slowik finds himself on the market with what promises to be a nice amount of interest in his services. This could end up being a win-win.
