The Houston Texans made a relatively shocking decision on Friday.
Houston is moving on from offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, bringing an end to his up-and-down tenure with the club after just two seasons.
Slowik, 37, was once viewed as a top assistant coach, receiving head coaching interviews with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders and New York Jets over the last two seasons.
The Texans also fired offensive line coaches Chris Strausser and Cole Popovich, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.
The Patriots currently don’t have anything to do with these moves, but that might not last very long.
New England is currently filling out its offensive staff and still having openings after adding the likes of Ashton Grant, Riley Larkin and Tony Dews.
Mike Vrabel doesn’t have direct ties to Slowik, Strausser and Popovich, but the latter did work on the same staff as Josh McDaniels from 2016 to 2020.
The Patriots could look to pounce on one of the available names to fill things out, particularly Slowik, who could join in an advisory role while he waits for another opportunity to coordinate elsewhere.
Ben McDaniels, the brother of Josh McDaniels, could also be on their radar after serving as an offensive assistant for the last several seasons.