CJ Stroud and the Texans: From Franchise Savior to Franchise Crossroads
It’s been a rough stretch for the Houston Texans, and the sting of their playoff exit in New England still lingers. A 29-13 loss doesn’t fully capture how lopsided that game felt.
For a team that had rattled off a franchise-best 10-game win streak, boasted the most dominant defense in team history, and had a relatively favorable path through the AFC, the abrupt end was a gut punch. The momentum, the belief, the "this could be the year" energy-it all unraveled in Foxborough.
And at the center of that collapse? CJ Stroud.
Let’s not sugarcoat it-Stroud had a nightmare of a game. Four first-half interceptions set a tone Houston could never recover from.
It wasn’t just the turnovers, either. His accuracy was off, his decision-making shaky, and the confidence that once defined his game seemed to vanish under the playoff lights.
That performance, paired with a messy showing earlier in Pittsburgh, has shifted the narrative around Stroud in a major way. The quarterback who once looked like the Texans' long-awaited answer under center is now facing real questions about his trajectory.
But here’s the thing-this isn’t all on Stroud.
Houston’s offensive line has been a rollercoaster the past two seasons. In 2024, Stroud was sacked over 50 times.
That number dropped to 24 in 2025, but the pressure didn’t disappear. He was still running for his life more often than you'd like for a young quarterback trying to develop rhythm and timing.
And while Nico Collins has stepped up as a legitimate WR1, the rest of the receiving corps has been inconsistent at best. Tank Dell was expected to be a dynamic complement, but injuries robbed him of most of 2024 and all of 2025.
Other pass-catchers have had flashes, but no one has consistently taken the heat off Collins.
The run game hasn’t exactly helped either. Joe Mixon gave the Texans some stability in 2024, but he missed all of 2025.
The backs who filled in were serviceable, but far from game-changers. So yeah, Stroud’s had a lot on his plate.
And while he’s shown flashes of brilliance-especially during that electric rookie season-the last two years have been uneven. The New England meltdown just threw gasoline on the fire.
And now, the blame is squarely on his shoulders.
This will be Stroud’s longest offseason as a pro, and it’s shaping up to be the most important one of his career. The mood in Houston has shifted.
The same fans who once saw him as the savior are now questioning if he’s the guy. And if history is any indication, once the Houston fanbase turns on a quarterback, it turns hard.
We’ve seen this movie before.
David Carr was the original face of the franchise-big arm, good looks, all the tools. But behind a historically bad offensive line, he never had a chance. By Year 5, fans were calling for Gary Kubiak to move on, and Carr’s time in Houston ended with more frustration than fanfare.
Then came Matt Schaub. At his peak, he ran Kubiak’s offense to near perfection.
But a shaky defense and a string of brutal pick-sixes eroded his confidence-and the fans’ patience. By the end, Schaub was booed so loudly at home that the Texans had to go to a silent count at NRG Stadium.
That’s how toxic it got. Schaub jerseys were literally burned in the parking lot.
And of course, there’s Deshaun Watson. On the field, he was arguably the most talented quarterback the franchise has ever had.
But his exit wasn’t about football. Off-field allegations and a messy divorce from the organization left a bitter taste.
Fans went from backing him to disowning him almost overnight.
Now, it’s Stroud’s turn in the pressure cooker.
He doesn’t have the off-field baggage of Watson, but his on-field struggles are drawing the same kind of heat. Fans in Houston don’t want to turn on Stroud.
They want him to succeed. They want a quarterback they can believe in.
But after tasting playoff football again-and feeling how close this team might be-the patience is wearing thin.
When Stroud is on, he’s electric. He can make all the throws, extend plays with his legs, and lead game-winning drives.
But after a playoff performance that will be hard to forget, the margin for error has shrunk. The next time he throws a pick at home, the boos will come fast and loud.
That’s the reality of being the face of a franchise with a tortured quarterback history.
To his credit, Stroud declined a Pro Bowl invite this year, signaling that he’s focused on the work ahead. That move earned him some goodwill. But the only thing that will truly shift the narrative is what happens next September, when the real games begin again.
The Texans’ future still has a chance to run through CJ Stroud. He’s shown enough to believe that he can be that guy.
But right now, he’s standing at a crossroads-one that every Houston quarterback seems to reach. Will he follow the path of Carr and Schaub, or will he flip the script and become the quarterback who finally delivers on the promise?
We’ve got eight months to wait. And when the lights come back on, all eyes will be on No. 7.