In his end-of-season press conference, Rams head coach Sean McVay said that unless members of the coaching staff left for promotions elsewhere, that group would be kept intact going into 2025.
Pass game coordinator/tight ends coach Nick Caley is now one of the staffers who falls into that category, as the Texans on Monday announced they had hired Caley as their next offensive coordinator.
Caley added pass game coordinator to his title last season after exclusively serving as tight ends coach in 2023, taking on that role after Zac Robinson departed to become the Falcons' offensive coordinator. When the 2024 staff was finalized and Caley's promotion was announced, McVay praised Caley's leadership, communication, consistency, feel for the NFL landscape, and the way he sees the game.
Working with quarterback Matthew Stafford and the rest of the Rams offensive staff, Caley helped guide a Los Angeles passing attack that finished 10th in the 2024 regular season. In 2023, tight end Tyler Higbee reached multiple franchise records and milestones, including passing Jack Snow and Elroy Hirsch for ninth all-time in team history in receptions.
"I think Nick is a great leader. He comes from a great pedigree," McVay said in February 2024. "You talk about a consistent approach to the core beliefs and the things that are in alignment with winning football games. His ability to communicate, his background and knowledge that he brought from his experiences in New England, but then also his willingness to be able to learn and have a good feel for the landscape of the league. I think he sees the game from a big picture perspective. He coaches the tight ends, but I have an affinity for that because that was my first position job. I think if you do it the way that Nick does it, you can really put yourself in a position to appreciate the nuances of everything that position has asked in terms of playing in line, playing detached from the core, being a part of the run game, being part of protections, being part of the progression in the pass game. He's done that and he sees the game from an All-22 lens."
McVay at that time also acknowledged that Caley had opportunities elsewhere before opting to stay in L.A., though he also knew that it was only a matter of time before could be in position for a bigger opportunity elsewhere.
"I think he and (offensive coordinator) Mike (LaFleur) have a really good relationship and a rapport that's really important to me, and he was somebody that we were really excited about continuing to build with here because he did have opportunities to go elsewhere," McVay said. "He chose to stay here and it sure means a lot. I'm really glad to be able to get a second year with him because you don't know how many you'll be fortunate enough to have, but we want to take advantage of those while we do."
