Did the Texans’ dysfunction drive former Rams DC Brandon Staley into the Chargers coaching job?
The Houston Texans interviewed one of the brightest, productive assistant coaches in the NFL this season in former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
After interviewing with the Texans, Staley took the job with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.
Did the dysfunction surrounding the Texans scare off Staley?
The 38-year-old had some ties to the Texans. In 2013 and from 2015-16, Staley was the defensive coordinator for John Carroll University, which is the alma mater for Houston general manager Nick Caserio. There is no question that Caserio knew of Staley’s work given his stints with the Blue Streaks.
On paper, the Texans are an optimistic gig despite their 4-12 finish from a season ago. They have quarterback all figured out and locked up through the 2025 season, which is a big part of roster construction that some teams spend years trying to resolve. Even though Houston is missing its first two rounds’ worth of draft picks in 2021, and they won’t have the salary cap space they have enjoyed in previous seasons, the potential to make a playoff run in 2021 and beyond is there.
Yet Staley chose the 7-9 Chargers and Justin Herbert over the Texans.
Could it be the dysfunctional state the Texans are in that made Staley consider the Chargers job more than the Houston job?
The reality is the Texans are having issues with their franchise quarterback. Will he embrace the new coaching hire if it is anyone other than Eric Bieniemy, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator? Also what is the chairman and CEO Cal McNair’s deal with Jack Easterby, the executive vice president of football operations? Is he the real power broker? Is Caserio’s say over football matters truly final?
If Staley chose the Chargers because he won’t have to move, then it is irrelevant to the Texans. However, if he found the Chargers’ job more promising because of Houston’s dysfunction, it is an issue the Texans have to fix quickly or risk losing other quality coaching candidates.
