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DJ Bien-AimeESPN
HOUSTON — Houston Texans general manager Nick Caserio on Monday denied rumors that he would be leaving the team after the 2023 NFL draft.
“Quite frankly, I’m almost embarrassed I have to. I feel sort of like Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Wolf of Wall Street.’ I’m not leaving,” Caserio said Monday at a news conference. “There’s never really been any substantive discussions of the sort.”
Caserio is in his third year as the Texans GM after the organization hired him in January 2021. But there were league rumors about him leaving after the draft and possibly returning to the New England Patriots.
Caserio was a part of the Patriots’ front office for 20 seasons, and he took over the director of player personnel role in 2008.
“Unfortunately, I think this time of year, there is a lot of information and a lot of topics that are discussed. Some are more accurate than others, and I think it transcends multiple landscapes,” Caserio said. “But I’m honestly almost embarrassed that I have the say anything, but I feel like I have an obligation to make that statement. Really try to stay ahead of it. I really don’t think there’s anything else to talk about or to say any question about it. Again, appreciate the opportunity that we have here very grateful.”
Firing a GM after the draft would be unusual. The last team to do so was the New York Jets in 2019, when Mike Maccagnan was fired in May following the draft. Former Jets coach Adam Gase took over the interim general manager role before the Jets hired their current GM, Joe Douglas, in June 2019.
The Texans’ record under Caserio is 7-26-1 over two seasons. He has hired and fired two coaches after one season — David Culley (2021) and Lovie Smith (2022). In January, he hired his third coach in former Texans All-Pro linebacker and San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
