C.J. Stroud just put up the worst performance of any Texans quarterback in a playoff game on Sunday, throwing four interceptions in a very winnable 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots. The extremely sad thing is that the Texans squandered a chance to go to the Super Bowl, with an elite, generational defense. The slightly less sad thing is that Stroud’s awful performance overtook his own performance last Monday (five fumbles) in the win over the Steelers.
As Texans fans, we are in a spot that we never fathomed two seasons ago, when Stroud was winning the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and taking the league by storm. We are in a spot where the questions are no longer centered on the amount of Stroud’s eventual contract extension, but instead center on whether he should be here long term at all.
Make no mistake, Stroud’s abysmal pick-fest sends this team into the most inward looking offseason of the DeMeco Ryans Era. How do you fix C.J. Stroud? Is he even fixable? Or is the temperature with people like us, fans and media, far different than the temperature in the building, where they will all say they still believe in Stroud.
As we head into the offseason, there are really four options when it comes to assessing Stroud’s future and moving forward. They are as follows:
THE UNPOPULAR OPTION
Both Stroud and Will Anderson are eligible for big contract extensions come March. Anderson should get his about 15 seconds after the league business year begins on March 11. Stroud, quite frankly, should not. However, teams have extended lesser accomplished quarterbacks than Stroud after three seasons. Arizona did it with Kyler Murray. Miami did it with Tua Tagovailoa. Jacksonville did it with Trevor Lawrence. To say the results are mixed with that trio is an understatement. Still, other than public sentiment, there is nothing stopping Nick Caserio from giving Stroud, say, a three year, nearly fully guaranteed $160 million extension. Do that, and you’re married to Stroud. I think the fan base revolts right now, if this happens.
THE INTRIGUING OPTION
Hey, maybe all of the rhetoric from DeMeco Ryans after Sunday’s disaster About “C.J. Is our guy, we love C.J.” is just that. Rhetoric. Maybe DeMeco Ryans, in his heart of hearts, is just as disgusted at Stroud as we are, and maybe that disgust morphs into doubt. If that’s the case, then Stroud should be competing with Davis Mills for his job next season. When Stroud was a rookie in training camp, there was a somewhat phony QB competition going on, with Stroud ultimately anointed to the surprise of no one. How intriguing would an actual competition be in training camp in Year 4 for Stroud?
THE DRASTIC OPTION
I host the postgame show for the Texans on SportsRadio 610, and when we are in studio for road games, we have a page where people can text us their thoughts (713-572-4610, if any of you get a crazy urge). I can tell you that the anti-Stroud sentiment was at a solid 95 percent, and there were a lot of Texans fans wanting to move on from Stroud. Obviously, that would mean a trade, as Stroud still has value around the league. This would seem to me to be a nuclear option that might entail some agitation from Stroud’s camp for a new contract that the Texans are unwilling to dole out. This is the least likely And the most juicy of all the options.
THE MOST LIKELY OPTION
In the end, as often happens, the status quo likely rules. While I don’t think a contract extension for Stroud is out of the question, I think he severely damaged his chances at getting one this offseason with his performances in Pittsburgh and Foxboro. Also, I think Ryans will make it very clear that they are rolling with Stroud as their current quarterback, every chance he gets this offseason. C.J. Stroud will be your starting quarterback, with immense pressure on him to earn a new contract, and finally win a divisional round game. And if Sunday is any indicator, we should buckle up for what couple be a mushroom cloud at the end of the 2026 season.
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.