Texans GM Nick Caserio Blasts Rumors He's Interested in Returning to Patriots

Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio said he was "going to try to hold my tongue here a little bit" when discussing the notion he could return to the New England Patriots after previously serving as the AFC East team's director of player personnel.

He did anything but that.

"This time of year there are a lot of things that are said, and anybody that makes a jackass statement—that they either know me or 'trust me, you can rely on this information,'—honestly is totally off-base," Caserio said during an appearance on SportsRadio 610 (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).

"Those that really know me, know how I operate and what I'm about. Other than SportsRadio 610, I'm not really a big media person. I focus on the things I can control, not worry about some offhanded statements made out of left field that quite frankly have zero validity. Whoever these reporters are that make these ridiculous statements, maybe you want to talk to me about it first before putting information out there that has zero basis."

While Caserio may fondly remember his time in New England and still have connections in place, the Texans are primed for more immediate success in large part because of his work.

He seemingly found his franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud, who threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games this season. More than that, Houston brought in pass-rusher Will Anderson, wide receiver Tank Dell and linebacker Henry To'oTo'o in just the 2023 draft alone.

There is a strong foundation in place, and Houston went from 3-13-1 in 2022 to 10-7 and AFC South champions in 2023.

With Stroud on a rookie deal and already playing like one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, Caserio and the front office will also have more financial flexibility to make win-now moves in the coming years as they look to build on this season's success.

As for the Patriots, things are very much trending in the opposite direction.

They pieced together an 8-9 record in 2022 but finished the 2023 season with a 4-13 record as one of the worst teams in the league. What's more, third-year quarterback Mac Jones, who was supposed to be the franchise signal-caller as a 2021 first-round draft pick, was benched for Bailey Zappe.

Neither one looks like someone to build around in the long-term future, meaning New England might have to start over at the position.

It has the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft and could do so by choosing a signal-caller, but there is no guarantee that method will pan out. That is especially true if Caleb Williams and Drake Maye go in the first two picks, which would put the Patriots in an even more difficult situation.

Caserio was fairly adamant that he isn't going to New England, and that would likely be the better decision from a football perspective as well.