Lovie Smith could be out as the Houston Texans head coach after just one season, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero on Saturday.

If Smith is indeed fired, he'll be the third consecutive one-and-done as Texans head coach, after David Culley in 2020 and Romeo Crennel in 2019. Per Rapoport: “Lovie Smith has been meeting with owner Cal McNair to state his case for a second season, per sources.”

It's been another abysmal season for the Texans, who enter Week 18 with a 2-13-1 record, good enough for last place in the NFL, and two games back of the third-place Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.

Although no decision has been communication to any parties, the Texans will evaluate Smith's future at the end of the season, with his entire body of work being considered in the decision.

If the Texans lose their regular season finale in Indianapolis, the Texans would secure the league's worst record, giving them the No. 1 pick in next April's 2023 NFL Draft.

Sources told Rapoport and Pelissero that “frustration has mounted in the locker room and elsewhere in the building over many aspects of Smith's program, including overall operational struggles. It has spilled to their best players, such as receiver Brandin Cooks being stripped of the captaincy after trying and failing to get himself traded before November's deadline.”

Texans General Manager Nick Caserio hired Culley and Smith in the midst of a full-scale rebuild in Houston, and the team is desperately searching for stability at the head coaching position.

Following the Deshuan Watson trade, the Texans own two first-rounders in April's draft, as well as a 2023 third and a 2024 fourth. That No. 1 overall pick could be used for 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young out of Alabama, but the team has a plethora of options with the pick.

They also have ample young talent to build around, most notably running back Dameon Pierce, safety Jalen Pitre and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.

If Lovie Smith is indeed fired, the ultimate goal for Caserio and the Houston Texans will be getting a star quarterback, and a head coach they can rely on for more than one season.