Many children across the country will be rushing down the stairs to see what Santa Claus and their parents brought them from their holiday wish. Some will be hoping for their first phone, others a toy they’ve wanted for a long time, and surely a few lucky high schoolers will be introduced to their first car.
The holiday season, of course, makes one wonder what an NFL team might wish for if they had the luxury of holiday gifts. The Houston Texans in particular have had a miserable season at 2-12-1 that has left them wishing for a myriad of help that might’ve changed the outlook for one of the league’s worst teams.
If chairman and CEO Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio could work with Santa this December, here’s an idea of what their list might look like.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans
Ryans was once well known for playing seven seasons as a linebacker with the Houston Texans, However, he’s now much more popular as the star defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers have had one of the NFL’s best defenses the last two seasons and their absolute stifling of opposing offenses has made Ryans one of the league’s most coveted head coaching candidates.
Ryans would bring an innovative defensive mindset to the Texans while the team celebrated a reunion with their former player. His background in the Kyle Shanahan tree would also mean an offensive coordinator very likely from that style of offense.
His arrival would be an immediate upgrade for Houston on both sides of the football and signal modern schematics for the defense.
New uniforms
This one is fairly obvious.
The Texans are completing their 21st season as a franchise and fans have clamored for an upgrade from the team’s rather generic uniforms. Chairman and CEO Cal McNair hinted during a Reddit Q&A just before the season opener that a change could be coming. There may be no better time to do it than while the team welcomes in their new coach and two first-round draft picks to launch a more competitive era of their rebuild.
Of course, those uniforms will only be as attractive to fans as the caliber of player that is asked to wear them.
No. 1 overall pick QB Bryce Young
Nothing gifts an NFL team the ability to compete like a franchise quarterback and Houston would get just that here.
Young is the consensus mock choice currently for Houston at the top of the 2023 NFL draft and would offer the Texans a new face of their franchise in addition to high level quarterback play. While new coach DeMeco Ryans was busy crafting the defense, Young would be asked to run a Shanahan style offense that would represent an easy transition behind the shoulders of star running back Dameon Pierce.
His anticipation, poise, pocket navigation and elite accuracy suggest a player that would elevate Houston’s franchise and get them back on a timeline that got derailed during the 2021 offseason.
