This offseason is critical for C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans, who were eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC Divisional Playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Stroud is extension-eligible, and the discussion around the former No. 2 overall pick has shifted from the promise of his Pro Bowl and Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign as a rookie in 2023 to criticisms about a rough start and finish to the 2025 season.
Moreover, a second career concussion interrupted the season for Stroud and the Texans.
C.J. Stroud Must Improve
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans exits the field after facing the Seattle Seahawks.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio made it clear that Stroud must improve, and the Texans’ star has vowed to do so. However, Caserio also made it clear that the Texans need to be better around him.
That was not to absolve Stroud by any means.
Simply put, he cannot turn the ball over as he did in the postseason, with 7 total across the Texans’ two games.
“Every player, the offseason is about improvement, and what are some of the things that you can do better? C.J. had a really good season. He’s done a lot of great things. Done a lot of great things for his team, a lot of great things for this organization. Any time that you pass John Elway in terms of what you’ve accomplished in a short period of time. Talking about Hall of Fame quarterbacks,” Caserio said.
“C.J. played good football this year. Honestly, it wasn’t our best day as a team when you go back, really, and look at the game from Sunday. Can’t turn the ball over. If you look at the Divisional Round, the teams that turned the ball over, they lost the game.”
Caserio noted the Texans set a franchise record for fewest turnovers during the regular season, but they “did a poor job of it” against the Patriots, and “it ended up costing us.”
Caserio stressed that he and DeMeco Ryans spoke with Stroud and the Texans’ other QBs.
“My job as a quarterback is to mitigate risk. Period, end of story, every single play,” Caserio said. “If you do that, you’re going to give your team a pretty good opportunity to win. If you don’t do that, then it’s probably gonna be a little bit harder.”
Caserio noted that Stroud has admitted the difficulty of the season, but also the QB’s resolve, and how it is the team’s duty to foster a positive environment for players.
They have done that, but there remains work to be done.
C.J. Stroud Gets Heads Up on Contract Talks
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans reacts after defeating the San Francisco 49ers.
Stroud had 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions on 64.5% completion during the regular season, and a 462-2-5 line on 51.9% completion during the Texans’ two postseason games against the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. He also fumbled five times, losing two.
Caserio spoke candidly about Stroud’s future relative to his performance this postseason ahead of the QB’s contract extension eligibility this offseason.
Caserio would not address the details of the Texans’ plans for Stroud, citing their history.
“We haven’t really talked publicly about anybody’s contract. I would say every situation with any player is kind of case-by-case,” Caserio told reporters on January 21. “We’ll handle business how we handle business. So, everybody’s in, kind of, some different categories. So, we kind of take it case-by-case, and kind of deal with one player at a time.”
Caserio noted that the Texans could explore using the fifth-year option and the “timing element” of such a decision. The Texans have until May 1 to decide whether or not to pick up Stroud and teammate Will Anderson Jr.’s respective options.
“That’s kind of what the offseason is about,” Caserio said. “Kind of work through it here, I’m sure, throughout the course of the spring.”
But Caserio made his faith in Stroud clear, despite his poor outing against the Patriots.
“We don’t win the Kansas City game without C.J. Stroud. So, again, [the Patriots game is] one game. He’ll be the first to tell you, he didn’t play well on Sunday, all right? I’m not gonna sit here and tell you he played well, either. He knows that. So, in the end, all right, you gotta learn from it,” Caserio said.
“This guy’s been a damn good quarterback in this league for three years. It’s the truth. So again, you want to look at everything in totality. And then, every player, we’ll look at their situation, and it’s always case-by-case.”
2026 Could Be Pivotal for C.J. Stroud, Texans
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks on after the game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Caserio made it clear that his focus is on the “big picture” for the Texans as a whole rather than any individual player, even one like Stroud who occupies the most important role. In that sense, Stroud’s next deal will not impact how they build their roster despite the financial impact.
Even in explaining that, though, Caserio made it clear where the Texans’ downfall came.
“Our shortcomings come down to execution. When you go back and look at the game the other day, can’t turn the ball over five times. We control that. I’d say the 3 touchdowns that New England scored, we didn’t play the coverage or the technique the right way. Kind of, calls that we’ve done countless times,” Caserio said.
“In the end, we’ve proven that we could do it. But in games of that magnitude, the margins are as small as any. And you either make the plays and do the right thing, or you don’t.”
Caserio said that, ultimately, “the team that wins a Super Bowl is the best team. That’s the truth.” As for Stroud, he’s “gotta start from scratch” next season in what Caserio summed up as a “year-to-year league.”
Plenty remains up in the air about Stroud’s future regardless of the Texans’ faith.
“C.J.’s played a lot of good football, won a lot of games, done a lot of great things for this organization, and I think all of us are excited about the opportunity in front of us for the ‘26 season,” Caserio said. “We’re focused on a 2026 season, trying to put the best team together, and, hopefully, put ourselves into position that we can go out there and play pretty good football and win a bunch of games. So, that’s where our focus is.”
C.J. Stroud Gets Blunt Message From Texans Before Franchise-Altering Decision