There weren’t many names in this year’s hiring cycle drawing more buzz than Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson. The 35-year-old interviewed with the New Orleans Saints and five other teams looking for a new offensive coordinator — including playoff teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns as well as the rebuilding New England Patriots.
Instead, Johnson elected to stay another year in Houston, where he received a raise and an extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’ll continue working with young star quarterback C.J. Stroud under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik which should give him a great opportunity to improve his stock ahead of the 2025 hiring cycle. If Slowik is hired away next year then Johnson is a natural successor on DeMeco Ryans’ staff.
But that didn’t leave Saints fans feeling happy. Reactions were mixed (some were turned off by Johnson’s lack of experience) but confidence in the offensive coordinator search is waning. Dennis Allen can’t afford to get this hire wrong. Here’s what fans are saying in the aftermath of Johnson returning to Houston: