The Houston Texans wrapped up their first round of interviews to address their head coaching vacancy with their eighth candidate on Sunday.
Veteran defensive end Jerry Hughes, who led the Texans with nine sacks this past season, says he’s had several conversations with teammates about each candidate in the team’s group chat.
“Everyone is just excited to see who is going to be the new head coach and what direction we’re going to head,” Hughes told KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson. “We’re ball players. We’re going to talk about their resume, how cool it would be, and who we want.”
So let’s break down what each candidate brings to the table as the Texans look to establish a new identity and try to follow in the footsteps of the Bengals and Jaguars—two teams that made a remarkable playoff run after having a top five draft pick in back-to-back years.
The dark horse candidates
Last Tuesday, the Texans interviewed Rams assistant head coach/TEs coach Thomas Brown and Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. A week later, Evero’s getting a second interview after impressing in-person, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
There’s a lot to like about Evero—he’s a 42-year-old coordinator with 15 years of coaching experience for five different NFL teams. Most of his experience has come on defense, but he played a key role on both sides of the ball during the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI run as the secondary coach and passing game coordinator under Sean McVay in 2021.
Evero’s already interviewed for all five head coaching vacancies. All-Pro safety Justin Simmons also raved about him as a “tremendous leader,” per the aforementioned Aaron Wilson.
Thomas Brown, meanwhile, joined the Rams’ staff in 2020 and was promoted to assistant head coach after just one season. McVay called him “one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around.”
Both are up-and-coming candidates but are still considered long-shots to fill one of the NFL’s five head coaching vacancies in this year’s cycle. The same is true of Giants offensive coordinator Graphic via houston.sportsmap.com, who interviewed with the Texans on Sunday and has a second interview with the team scheduled this week, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
Kafka, 35, has played a pivotal role in the breakout season from QB Daniel Jones, who set career-bests in passing yards (3,205), completion percentage (67.2) and production on the ground (708 yards and seven TDs), despite operating with arguably the worst WR corps in the league and PFF’s third-worst graded offensive line.
Prior to taking over as the Giants’ play-caller, Kafka spent five years in Kansas City under Andy Reid as an offensive quality control coach (2017), QBs coach (2018-19) and QBs coach/pass game coordinator (2020-21). When he does get his opportunity as a head coach, he’ll have a chance to join a lengthy list of former NFL backup quarterbacks with impressive resumes as head coaches—including Sean McVay, Zac Taylor, Sean Payton, Jim Harbaugh, Doug Pederson, Matt LaFleur, Gary Kubiak and Kevin O’Connell, among others.
Now onto the favorites…
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the first to interview for the position on Jan. 12 but he announced last week that he was returning to Detroit.
There’s not necessary a clear established front-runner yet in the Texans’ wide-ranging search for a new head coach but there seems to be a few leading candidates—49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, Eagles OC Sean Steichen and Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon.
Each of them have already interviewed for the position but none of them are allowed to have a second interview until after Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, per NFL rules. Each candidate would be extremely qualified to fill the vacancy—contrary to some of last year’s finalists.
The case for Jonathan Gannon
Gannon was one of those finalists after his first year as Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator. But the Eagles’ defense soared to new heights in his second season, finishing as the NFL’s No. 1 unit in total defense, No. 1 against the pass and tied for fourth in takeaways. The Eagles also led the league with a whopping 70 sacks—the most from any team in 33 years and the third-most in NFL history.
Gannon, 40, reportedly “knocked it out of the park” with his knowledge and strategic planning in his interviews with the Texans, Broncos and Vikings last year. He previously served as a scout for the Rams and an assistant coach for the Falcons, Titans and Vikings.
“Incredibly intelligent and passionate,” a source said of Gannon, per Aaron Wilson. “This guy is a superstar. He’s worked with great people like George Paton and Rob Brzezinski with the Vikings. It says a lot that those guys think the world of the guy.”
It’s widely speculated that Gannon would be able to put together an experienced staff due to his strong ties to Eagles QBs coach Brian Johnson, former Colts coach Frank Reich and former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer.
He would also be able to recruit some of the Eagles’ impending standout free agents to address a few of the Texans’ key needs on defense, which could include DT Javon Hargrave, DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and particularly middle linebacker T.J. Edwards, who emerged as one of the best linebackers in the league this season.
“JG, that’s my guy,” Edwards said, via Aaron Wilson. “Just in terms of his football IQ and how he views the game is so interesting to just have conversations about how he sees certain things fitting. The one thing he did that was awesome for us and helped us a lot was letting each position group and specifically each position know how they fit into the scheme.
“I think as a player, you always want to know ‘why are things happening?’ For him to be able to do that in a personable way I think is rare. He’s got a lot of respect around here.”
The case for DeMeco Ryans
There was some initial speculation the Texans’ former All-Pro linebacker wouldn’t be interested in returning to the organization because he filed a lawsuit against them and the NFL, alleging issues with the team’s field surface and construction after tearing his Achilles at NRG Stadium nine years ago. But that’s clearly water under the bridge.
The 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year remains a fan favorite in Houston—he helped cultivate a foundation for an expansion franchise just four years removed from its inaugural season. He was one of the top linebackers in the league during his six-year stretch in Houston, before finishing his final four seasons in Philadelphia. Needless to say, Ryans has continued to excel as he’s transitioned into coaching.
Two years ago, before former 49ers DC Robert Saleh took the job to become the head coach of the Jets, coach Kyle Shanahan said he “absolutely” would consider promoting then-linebackers coach Ryans to be the team’s defensive coordinator.
“It’s a matter of time before DeMeco is a coordinator in this league,” Shanahan said. “It’s a matter of time before he’s a head coach.”
San Francisco finished the season as the NFL’s top scoring defense, second in takeaways (30) and second against the run, despite dealing with a myriad of injuries.
“He’s gonna be an unbelievable head coach,” All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa said, via Aaron Wilson. “I think he’s just really figured out how to perfectly push us, but not push us too hard, not give us too much credit. It seems simple, but it’s really not. Just the way he is as a coach and a leader, he’s the best coach I’ve been around.”
Star linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw were developed under Ryans, who has also helped with the emergence of second-year corner Deommodore Lenoir and second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga. All four standout defenders were mid-round draft picks.
“He’s the best,” Warner said. “And I don’t just say that because, obviously, he’s my coach. I know what greatness looks like and he shows that every day, not only just as a coach, but as a person. His leadership ability, the teachability that he possesses, and his continuing to want to get better as a coach is shown every day. He wants this group to get better and pushed us and makes sure that he prepares every single day to make sure he gives us his best self.”
The Texans interviewed Ryans last Friday and it reportedly went extremely well.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added the “people around the league believe [Ryans] has traction in Houston,” along with Jonathan Gannon.
During Sunday’s pre-game show, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reported that Ryans cancelled his interviews with the Colts and Cardinals—which were scheduled for Saturday, the day before the team’s clash with the Cowboys. It’s unclear if those interviews will be rescheduled after the NFC Championship Game.
Texans legend J.J. Watt endorsed his former teammate over the weekend.
“As rookie in Houston, I brought my first house across the street from DeMeco because if Meco thought it was the right place to live, it was the right place to live for me,” Watt wrote. “Captain, leader, smart, tough, personable, crushed it as DC… He will be a great head coach.”
Potential free agent targets from the 49ers’ defense could include defensive end Samson Ebukam, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and safety Jimmie Ward.
I’ll cap off the case for Ryans with this gem from a great piece on Ryans from The Ringer:
It’s a cliché to call a player a “coach on the field,” but with Ryans, it was unimpeachably true. Ryans’s defensive coordinator in Philadelphia, Bill Davis told NFL.com’s Jim Trotter that he would build two defensive game plans for each week: one that the defense could run no matter what, and another that they could only run if Ryans was on the field. Davis would also give Trotter his Ryans prediction: “DeMeco’s so talented, he will go to the next level and be a phenomenal head coach in this league because of the way he handles himself on a day-to-day basis.”
The case for Shane Steichen
Like Gannon, Shane Steichen impressed in his first season as Philadelphia’s play-caller last year before taking the Eagles’ offense to new heights in 2022. They finished third in scoring (28.1 PPG), third in total offense (389.1 YPG) and third in DVOA and third in red zone efficiency.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts started his make-or-break third season on the hot seat and could’ve finished as the NFL MVP if it weren’t for a sprained shoulder late in the season.
“We all spend so much time together and Shane spends a lot of time with Jalen to understand what he likes,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Shane and I are in every quarterback meeting and obviously talking through everything. What are we going to do against this look, what are we going to do against that look.
“Obviously, on a football level, they’re very close and they’ve worked on their connection … I think Shane does a good job with Jalen of connecting with him, not just in football, and I think Shane has continued to do a very good job of connecting with all the offensive players.”
Hurts, RB Miles Sanders and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith all set career-high numbers and shattered their previous marks. Each of the Eagles’ starting offensive linemen were also voted as either Pro Bowl selections or alternates.
Steichen has already interviewed with the Texans, Colts and Panthers. He’s been coaching in the league for 12 seasons—nine of which with the Chargers as a defensive assistant (2011-12), offensive quality control coach (2014-15), QBs coach (2016-19) and offensive coordinator (2019-20) and played a key role in the development of QB Justin Herbert.
Steichen developed his “feel for the game” from watching his mentor Norv Turner, an offensive coordinator for seven NFL teams and three-time head coach.
“I thought Norv just had an unbelievable feel for the game, calling the game, when to call shots,” Steichen said, per The Athletic. “He always said, ‘Shoot, the best games I’ve ever called is when I really am not looking down at the call sheet.”
Potential free agent targets from the Eagles’ offensive side of the ball could include right guard Isaac Seumalo and running back Miles Sanders.
The case for Sean Payton
Many in Houston have already moved on from what was initially perceived as a pipe dream—landing one of the NFL’s top offensive minds in decades with a proven track record as a head coach. Payton, 59, has the 23rd-most wins (152) among all-time HCs and trails just five current coaches in career winning percentage (.631)—Matt LaFleur (.712), Bill Belichick (.662), Andy Reid (.641), Sean McDermott (.639) and Mike Tomlin (.636).
It was much easier to sell the idea of trading for Sean Payton before Houston emerged as the top destination for DeMeco Ryans. But the Broncos still have real interest in Ryans—along with Payton and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, so we have to assume Payton is still an option.
The Texans were the first team to interview Payton, followed by Denver and Carolina. He’s set to interview with Arizona on Thursday. Each team brings something different to the table.
Denver: The Rob Waldon-led Broncos are best-suited to meet Payton’s reported salary demands and already possess one of the league’s top defenses, but competing in the AFC West and being anchored to the albatross that is Russell Wilson’s contract is a significant drawback.
Arizona: The Cardinals are starting from scratch with a new GM in Monti Ossenfort and will be moving from some key pieces of its roster this offseason, including DE J.J. Watt (retirement) and likely WR DeAndre Hopkins (trade). QB Kyler Murray (torn ACL) isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the 2023 season, either, though Payton is apparently a fan of Murray. Another obstacle: the Cardinals only have five draft picks this year (No. 3, 34, 66, 103, 167).
Carolina: The Panthers are already in a tough spot with the salary cap but that’s likely not a major hurdle for Payton given his history in New Orleans. The bigger issue is that Saints GM Mickey Loomis would inevitably bleed the Panthers dry of draft capital in a hypothetical trade.
Charging far more for a star player (or coach) from a division rival is standard procedure in the NFL, assuming you even entertain the idea of the in-division trade, and it doesn’t happen often. But the aggressive, trade-happy Panthers have proven they aren’t afraid to make a big splash and do whatever it takes under owner David Tepper and GM Scott Fitterer.
It’s worth noting that there was a famous in-division coaching trade over 22 years ago—the Patriots sent their 2001 first round pick (No. 16 overall), along with a fourth and seventh round pick to the Jets for head coach Bill Belichick, who resigned a day after accepting the Jets’ job to replace Bill Parcells. The Jets also sent back its 2001 fifth round pick and 2002 seventh rounder for the eventual six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach.
Finally, the Texans, offer a blank slate with the sixth-most cap space and the most draft capital in the league in a weak division, where Payton can immediately implement his vision.
In a recent interview with FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd, Payton was asked if he’d be willing to consider the Texans’ HC vacancy. Payton said he already knows the Texans’ ownership and GM Nick Caserio from past joint practice sessions and emphasized the team has “really good draft capital” and offers immediate growth potential in one of the league’s weakest divisions.
Cowherd seemed to pour cold water on the hype train of Payton going to Houston a couple days later, hinting at dysfunctional ownership from the Texans. But Nick Underhill contradicted that narrative, reporting that Payton’s interview with the Texans “went really well.”
Potential trade packages for Sean Payton
In his interview with Cowherd, Payton added that he had spoken with Saints GM Mickey Loomis about the trade compensation to acquire him, which would probably consist of “a mid-to-late first-round pick.”
Every team must first agree to some parameters on trade compensation before getting to interview Payton, though there’s already been some reporting that the Saints have their sights set on acquiring two first round picks for their former head coach.
ESPN’s Jeff Legwold said on Monday that some around the league believe the Broncos would need to part with their 2023 first round pick and one or both of their 2023 third round picks in order to acquire Sean Payton.
That first round pick originally belonged to the 49ers before they sent it to the Dolphins in the trade for Trey Lance. Miami then sent it to Denver to acquire Bradley Chubb. The Broncos don’t have a second rounder because they sent it to Seattle in the trade for Russell Wilson.
But let’s get to some hypothetical and realistic trade packages from the Texans.
Saints receive: 2023 second round pick (No. 33 overall), 2023 third round pick (No. 65 overall)
Texans receive: Coach Sean Payton
Sending the 2024 first round pick from Cleveland is ideal for the Texans, but the Saints would likely prefer the 34th overall pick in this year’s draft given their plethora of needs (QB, C/G, WR, CB and DL, depending on who leaves in free agency). Houston could essentially match Denver’s hypothetical offer referenced above by tacking on one or two third round picks.
Saints receive: 2023 first round pick (No. 12 overall), 2024 third round pick
Texans receive: 2023 second round pick (No. 40 overall), Coach Sean Payton
This one is a little outside-the-box but it makes more sense for both teams. It essentially matches the value from the hypothetical trade packages above from both Houston and Denver, per the Rich Hill trade chart model.
It puts the Saints within striking distance of being able to secure (or reasonably move up) to get one of the top QB prospects in this year’s class—Florida’s Anthony Richardson or Kentucky’s Will Levis. Both need to improve their game in terms of mechanics, reading blitzes and going through their progressions but they both possess great size and athleticism, along with a strong arm, quick release and on occasion terrific ball placement.
Despite Richardson’s inconsistency and awful completion percentage and Levis’ lack of production, age (he’ll be a 24-year-old rookie project) and despicable affinity for pouring chunks of mayonnaise in his coffee—which he confirmed is a staple of his palette, both are high-upside prospects and have drawn comparisons to Josh Allen and Cam Newton.
Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are both highly likely Top 5 picks and there’s a strong chance that Levis and Richardson hear their name called in the Top 15, if not the Top 10.
As for the latter trade scenario from the Texans’ perspective, if DeMeco Ryans chooses Denver, you have to ask yourself: Would you rather get Sean Payton and WR Zay Flowers (who would be potentially the top option at No. 40) or take WR Jordan Addison at No. 12 and end up with one of the Eagles’ coordinators? It’s a compelling question and realistically that’s the apples-to-apples difference between making that trade for Sean Payton.
As Albert Breer recently highlighted, there’s reason for Payton to consider Houston over Arizona and Denver, since he would have far more resources at his disposal in terms of draft capital and cap space in order to implement to launch his vision right out of the gate.
Closing arguments for Payton, Ryans
For a closing argument for Payton, look at the coaches for the four teams in the conference championship games—Andy Reid (64), Zac Taylor (39), Kyle Shanahan (43) and Nick Sirianni (41). All are dynamic offensive minds. Three of the other four coaches that advanced to the divisional round are also offensive guys—Mike McCarthy (59), Brian Daboll (47), Doug Pederson (54) and the one defensive mind, Sean McDermott (48).
But ultimately if DeMeco Ryans is on board, that’s the direction the team will likely go, and understandably so—he should be able to ignite the fan base, get the band back together with recent Texans legends and put together a strong coaching staff.
We’ve already seen the success from the Shanahan coaching tree, and while most of the league’s current head coaches come from the offensive side of the ball, there’s a still some elite defensive minds that almost always have their teams in contention, like the aforementioned Belichick, Tomlin and McDermott, along with John Harbaugh and Pete Carrol. The early returns on Robert Saleh and Brian Flores have looked pretty promising as well.
Michael Gartman is a contributor to TheInscriberMag.com. Follow him on Twitter and follow us on Facebook.