Here's Why Texans OC Nick Caley Is Bullish on C.J. Stroud for 2026

The Houston Texans are entering their second season of C.J. Stroud and offensive coordinator Nick Caley as the lead minds for this offense.

In the first year of their pairing up together, things didn't go quite as well as Houston would've hoped.

Houston's offense struggled to find consistency throughout the season. Stroud faced a mid-season absence due to a concussion. Caley didn't quite find his stride as a dynamic play-caller until later in the season. An ugly end in the playoffs was the cherry on top for a disappointing year altogether.

But a new season is upon us. And in the eyes of Caley, the improvements that both of them can bring to the table in 2026 are setting up for this offense to already look much better from where they were this time last offseason.

Nick Caley's Seeing Tons of Progress From Stroud, Texans' Offense

During an interview with Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, Caley discussed some of the growth he's seen out of his quarterback, as well as the offense as a whole since his first season on the job in 2025.

The main takeaway? Significant strides have been made from Stroud and the offense throughout the past several months, and that process will only continue the deeper Houston gets into their upcoming season.

“There was a lot of progress that C.J. [Stroud] and the offense made last year,” Caley said, via the Houston Chronicle. “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.”

Caley Wants Everyone–– Including Himself–– Hungry for Success

There's several reasons you can attribute to the bumps in the road that Houston and Stroud faced last season on the offensive end.

The offense was lacking established playmaking outside of Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz. The run game was virtually non-existent after Joe Mixon was sidelined for the season with a foot injury we still don't know the full extent of. It was Caley's first time as a lead play-caller after coming aboard Houston as a tight ends coach with the LA Rams.

The transition for Caley was never going to be seamless. And this season, the Texans' second-year coordinator still won't be perfect. There will be mistakes along the way, as any young (and even experienced) coach is prone to making.

Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley stands on the field before the game against the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

But now, Stroud and his play-caller have been able to get a full offseason of work in the books, pairing with the multiple personnel improvements made on the offensive end. That'll only help their chemistry move along further, and this scoring attack should become more efficient and consistent because of it.

“All these reps are invaluable not just for the players but for the coaches too,” Caley continued. “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.”

C.J. Stroud Faces Pivotal Season, But Caley's Confidence Is Reassuring

In reality, it's a journey of constant improvement for everyone on the building; not just for Stroud, not for Caley, and not just the offensive side of the ball either. For as good as this Texans defense was in 2026, there's multiple ways that group can get even better.

But everyone in the mix for this team looks motivated to make that happen.

For Stroud and this offense in particular, this season sets up for a major "prove-it" campaign for more reasons than one. The fourth-year quarterback still has the taste of a bitter end to his last postseason outing in his mouth, and he's looking to get paid a nice extension next summer as well.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reacts under center against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

If everything can click this season for Stroud and Caley, both will be able to reap the rewards in a major way. It could even lead to a real chance of making a run to the Super Bowl if this defense holds up its end of the bargain.

Though while Houston's success might start and end with how elite this defense can be, seeing Stroud elevate to the ceiling he's capable of might be equally as important.

There's no doubt this is the most important season yet of the young quarterback's career, but his play-caller seems to be seeing all of the right things that make you believe this season will look a whole lot better than his previous two.

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