It'd be a mistake if Bobby Slowik left the Texans for a head coaching job
We are fresh off the Houston Texans' dismantling of the Cleveland Browns and naturally, people are foaming at the mouth when it comes to the idea of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as the head coach of their respective team.It makes all the sense in the world. The dude has done a tremendous job in his […]
We are fresh off the Houston Texans' dismantling of the Cleveland Browns and naturally, people are foaming at the mouth when it comes to the idea of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik as the head coach of their respective team.
It makes all the sense in the world. The dude has done a tremendous job in his first year as offensive coordinator. He's been the key behind C.J. Stroud's success and the offense's success, as a whole. It's undeniable and one of the most impressive seasons from a rookie coach.
In today's NFL, good offensive coordinators are all the rage and it's easy to see why: The quarterback position is as prevalent and as necessary as ever. If a team wants any shot at competing for a Super Bowl, it needs to have a competent signal-caller behind center.
Slowik can offer the infrastructure it takes to get quarterbacks to reach their full potential and, his scheme is lights-out, as we've seen in 2023. It's not a surprise, considering he hails from the Kyle Shanahan tree.
But, Slowik would be mistaken to leave for a head coaching gig after this season.
The Texans are taking off and Slowik is set if he stays
Slowik has his guy in Stroud and he has a plethora of skill players, along with the game's best left tackle in Laremy Tunsil, on his roster. The Texans also have gobs of cap space in 2024 (nearly $72 million to be exact) and beyond, so they'll be able to retain these guys and/or bring in top free agents, if they want.
And, Stroud is on a cheap rookie contract through 2026. This is about as good a situation as one can get, especially for a novice (in terms of being an OC and play-caller) like Slowik.
If Slowik were to leave, he'd be passing up a franchise in the Texans that is not only on the up, but it has direction and vision under head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio. Slowik would be giving that up for what? The Carolina Panthers? The Las Vegas Raiders? The Atlanta Falcons? The Tennessee Titans?
Only the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers, and Washington Commanders make sense to leave the Texans for and even then, there are issues with each one of those teams.
The 'Hawks have a plethora of roster holes Slowik would have to fill, a defense that was one of the NFL's worst in 2023, and they're currently close to $5 million over the cap. The Chargers are nearly $45 million over the cap in 2024 and are going to have to cut key veterans in order to get back under. The Commanders job is the most attractive job, currently, but that will attract all kinds of top competition for the gig – competition that has reputations and fat résumés.
Slowik deserves to be all the rage, but when it comes to his personal career, it'd best serve him to grow more as a coach and ride the wave that is the current version of the Texans offense. We've seen what happens when guys take jobs they aren't ready for and a lot of times, they never get another chance after things go awry.
Considering all he has around him and the trajectory he's on, biding time for one or two more seasons could be the difference in a three-year head coaching gig and a 30-year head coaching gig.
And I think it's more than safe to bet Slowik prefers the latter.
