Texans make Nick Caserio one of the highest paid general managers in the NFL

Nick Caserio’s departure after two decades with the New England Patriots was made official on Wednesday, when he signed his contract to become the next general manager of the Houston Texans. The deal in itself is a massive one for his position, and will make the 45-year-old one of the highest paid GMs in all of football now.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Caserio signed a six-year pact with his new team that averages at least $6 million per season.

While the exact figures have not been reported, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that the ex-Patriot is now ranked among the NFL’s top-three general managers in terms of annual compensation.

As opposed to player contracts, executive deals are not public knowledge given that they do not count versus a team’s salary cap. Still, the average GM deal is believed to be worth somewhere between $2 million and $3 million per year — with obvious exceptions such as Caserio’s former boss, Bill Belichick, who is rumored to make upwards of $20 million in his role as the Patriots’ head coach and general manager.

Caserio is not yet in this sphere, but he will be getting paid handsomely by the Texans to take over a difficult situation.

He will have say over the team’s roster and an opportunity to build a team around impressive young quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Texans’ salary cap and draft capital situations are rather challenging. Houston, after all, is projected to be substantially over the cap in 2021 — almost $19 million if it is set at $175 million — and won’t have first- and second-round draft picks this year after a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins.

Caserio also will have to work with a new head coach. Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady, former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, and former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell are among the candidates that have been known so far.

Not on this list is Patriots offensive coordinator and Caserio’s former college teammate at John Carroll University, Josh McDaniels. While things could still change with a new general manager in place, the expectation is that the Texans are not looking at McDaniels as a hed coaching candidate at this point in time.