Texans HC DeMeco Ryans focused on clean slate for 2024 season

When Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans walked up to the podium last season during the 2023 NFL Combine, he had no clue what the regular season had in store for him.

All he wanted to do was make the rest of the NFL aware that he would be putting a team on the field that would compete week in and out and that the prior stigma surrounding the organization would no longer apply.

What the former Texans linebacker turned head coach did to help revitalize a franchise in disarray for the past three seasons was nothing short of astonishing. Houston finished the regular season with a 10-7 record, were crowned AFC South champions, and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2019. Their playoff dreams ended when the Baltimore Ravens defeated them in the divisional round.

“For me, every season you start over,” said Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans when asked about his team’s success in 2023, making them a top target for other teams in the AFC. “Last year was last year. It was a good run for us.”#Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/0N6sAtElvF

— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) February 27, 2024

All those accomplishments may have given many NFL head coaches a reason to brag about their team’s success, but not Ryans. To him, everything that happened last season is the past, and he wants to come into the 2024 season with the same hungry mentality and hunger to be Super Bowl champions.

“For me, every season you start over,” Ryans said at the 2024 NFL Combine when asked about his team’s success in 2023. “Last year was last year. It was a good run for us. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but that was a good run for the 2023 Texans. Now, for me, it is a clean slate.

“We start over in 2024; now, who are we going to be? We have a lot of great matchups against a lot of great teams this year. I’m excited to build our team the proper way for guys who are looking to compete and have that relentless mindset. Guys who want to go out and play for each other. Guys who want to hunt and play with relentless effort and finish. That is what I am looking to build as we start this offseason.”

The Texans will be looking to add depth at key positions from this year’s draft. Ryans has constantly communicated with general manager Nick Caserio on the team’s needs heading into next season. If they cannot fill those needs from the future incoming rookie class, they will head into free agency with nearly $70 million to spend.

“Me and Nick discuss it (team needs) often,” Ryans said about improving the roster. “We are looking to add depth at every position. You never stay the same is how I attack it. Every offseason, you never stay the same from a coach and player perspective, so how can we continue to improve? How can we grow, and how can we get better? So, that is how we are attacking this offseason with that get better mindset.”