Texans Lose Quarterback Coach | Talking Tight Ends for Texans
A busy day at the NFL Scouting Combine for the Texans
The Houston Texans and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson have parted ways. ESPN reported the separation first, with KPRC’s Aaron Wilson reporting the split was motivated by Jerrod Johnson’s desire to leave.
The timing is curious.
If Johnson left, that’s a bad look for the Texans and C.J. Stroud. Johnson isn’t leaving for a promotion. He’s likely leaving because he doesn’t believe in an element of the offense. Be it Stroud or Nick Caley’s offense, Johnson wasn’t comfortable enough to have his career continue with the Texans.
If Houston fired Johnson or declined to extend his contract, the timing would be poor for DeMeco Ryans and his staff. Most teams have a staff in place, and the chance to add to the offensive side is limited at this point. Houston will likely shift to a current staffer for the role.
That staffer will likely be Jerry Schuplinski, the team’s current senior offensive assistant/pass game specialist. Schuplinski has been a quarterbacks coach before. He took over in New York after the rookie season for Daniel Jones. Jones played terribly in the two seasons he overlapped with Schuplinski. I won’t put all the blame on Schuplinski there, but Jones was much better before and after Schuplinski. He also coached Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady. There were better results with the veteran quarterbacks.
Schuplinski is another coach with ties to the New England Patriots and John Carroll University. The Texans, after moving away from the mass hiring of former Patriots coaches, have doubled back on that approach. Caley, Cole Popovich, and reported new tight end coach James Ferentz all have Patriots ties, among many others.
The Patriots way has rarely succeeded without Tom Brady. Drake Maye’s near-MVP season is a successful one with that style of offense, but there isn’t much else.
It might work for C.J. Stroud, but it is his last chance, and perhaps the last chance for this offensive staff as well. If the offense doesn’t work, DeMeco Ryans will be hiring more than a quarterbacks coach next offseason.
Tight Ends and Safeties at the Scouting Combine
The tight ends and safeties met with the media on Thursday. Here were the interesting conversations and notes from those groups.
Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon) will crush his workout. He was confident, borderline cocky, about the upcoming 40-yard dash. Sadiq would be an excellent selection for the Texans at 28th overall. It’s getting less likely that he makes it that far down the first round. He’s a willing blocker and solid receiver. He isn’t the same quality as the previous three tight ends selected in the first round, but he’s better than most recent non-first-round selections. An excellent workout would put more eyes on him and likely get him to a team with some need on offense to make the selection before he gets to the Texans. If he slips, he’s a steal at 28th overall. Sadiq told Landry Locker met with the Texans.
