Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 season, the Houston Texans have to be looking back at their playoff defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots and wonder what could have been.
Houston turned the ball over five times against New England, including four interceptions from C.J. Stroud, en route to the 28-16 loss, and it’s fair to think about what the outcome would’ve been had the Texans gotten steady quarterback play against the Patriots.
Could Houston consider trading Stroud this season for a more experienced, veteran quarterback? Maybe. It wouldn’t be the first time a team moved off of their former first-round quarterback in favor of a more battle-tested and playoff-ready quarterback.
What if the Texans made a move for their in-state rival’s quarterback, the Dallas Cowboys‘ Dak Prescott?
Texans Trade Proposal Swaps C.J. Stroud for Dak Prescott
In a proposed deal reminiscent of the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams swapping Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff, the Houston Texans could send Stroud and a first-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for Prescott.
The idea, first proposed by Jake Oliver Ellenbogen on X, would see both the Texans and Cowboys land new quarterbacks.
Houston is built to win right now. Outside of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, it’s hard to point to a defense that was better throughout the 2025 season.
They have the pieces needed to succeed on offense as well; it just remains unclear if Stroud is ready to compete at a championship level with his Texans teammates.
That isn’t to say Stroud is a bad quarterback. Throughout the regular season, he was rated 10th of all starting quarterbacks with an EPA/play of .11, per Sumer Sports.
But if we go back to the 2021 trade that saw the Lions ship their franchise quarterback to the Rams for Goff and two first-round picks, the situations were relatively similar.
Los Angeles was ready to win, and Goff wasn’t far enough along in his development to lead the Rams there, as evidenced by their Super Bowl victory the following season.
Landing Prescott would immediately improve the outlook of the Texans heading into 2026, an All-Pro quarterback who was in the top five of the league with a QBR of 70.5.
Would the Cowboys Make the Deal?
Even if the Houston Texans were willing to make the trade for Prescott, it takes two to tango, and the Dallas Cowboys would have to sign off as well.
The Cowboys likely want to compete in 2026 as well, and Prescott would certainly help them achieve that goal. But considering how cash-strapped Dallas is, moving off their Pro Bowl quarterback could be the easiest way to become cap compliant.
Now, when the Los Angeles Rams traded for Stafford, they attached two first-round picks, one of which was extra compensation to take on Goff’s four-year $134 million contract.
Since Stroud still has two years of contractual control, including his fifth-year option, a trade likely means attaching only one first-rounder, which is a pick the Cowboys could desperately use.
Dallas just shipped out their 2027 first and 2026 second round picks for New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, and could use the extra capital to rebuild their poor defense.
Pairing Stroud with Ceedee Lamb and George Pickens doesn’t sound all that bad if you’re the Cowboys, and could help his development as he refines his skills and becomes the franchise quarterback everyone thought he could be after that elite rookie season.
Texans Trade Idea Swaps C.J. Stroud for All-Pro QB in Matthew Stafford-Type Deal