For Texans fans, the image of C.J. Stroud walking off the field in Foxborough last Sunday is going to linger-maybe for a long while.
Shoulders slumped, helmet in hand, the weight of a season-ending loss etched across his face. It was a tough moment, and not just because Houston’s playoff run came to a screeching halt in the Divisional Round for the third straight year.
It was the way it happened-Stroud, the face of the franchise, had one of the worst outings of his young career, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Four interceptions against the Patriots. Five fumbles the week before against the Steelers.
That’s not the kind of stat line you want from your franchise quarterback in back-to-back playoff games. And now, as the Texans head into the offseason, the conversation shifts from what went wrong in January to what’s next for their QB1.
Stroud will be entering his fourth NFL season next fall. That’s the point where teams usually start thinking seriously about long-term extensions for their first-round quarterbacks-especially ones taken second overall.
Two years ago, after his electric rookie season in 2023, locking up Stroud would’ve seemed like a no-brainer. But a sophomore slump followed by a plateau in year three has complicated things.
The potential is still there, but the consistency? That’s the question.
And right now, Texans GM Nick Caserio isn’t tipping his hand. At his end-of-season press conference, Caserio was asked-seven different times-about Stroud’s future and whether extension talks were in the works. Each time, he kept things close to the vest.
“I would say contractually, we haven't talked publicly about anybody's contract,” Caserio said. “Every situation with every player is case by case, so we'll handle business how we handle business.”
In other words: no answers, at least not yet. But that doesn’t mean Caserio isn’t paying attention to the broader picture. Despite the playoff meltdown, he made a point to defend Stroud’s body of work-and he did so with conviction.
“CJ had a really good season,” Caserio said. “He's done a lot of great things for his team, a lot of great things for this organization.
Any time you pass John Elway in terms of what you've accomplished in a short period of time… talking about a Hall of Fame quarterback. CJ played good football this year.”
That’s not just lip service. Stroud has shown real flashes of elite-level play. Caserio even pointed to Houston’s win over the Chiefs as an example of what the young quarterback is capable of when he’s on his game.
“If we want to go game by game, we don't win the Kansas City game without CJ Stroud,” Caserio said. “Again, that's one game.
He’ll be the first to tell you he didn’t play well on Sunday. I’m not going to sit here and tell you he played well either.
He knows that. In the end, got to learn from it.
What can we do better? Moving forward…”
That’s the key phrase: moving forward. Because that’s where the Texans are right now-at a crossroads.
Stroud has been good. At times, he’s been great.
But the last two postseasons have raised legitimate concerns about whether he can take the next step and become the kind of quarterback who elevates his team in the biggest moments.
Caserio made it clear that evaluations won’t be based on a couple of bad games. The Texans are looking at the full picture-three seasons of growth, leadership, and production. And while the extension conversation isn’t happening publicly yet, you can bet it’s happening behind closed doors.
“This guy has been a damn good quarterback in this league for three years,” Caserio said. “It’s the truth.
Again, you want to look at everything in totality and every player, look at their situation. It’s all case by case.”
So now, the Texans have a decision to make. Do they double down on Stroud and commit to him long-term? Or do they wait, watch, and see how year four unfolds?
One thing’s for sure: the next chapter in C.J. Stroud’s career is going to be a defining one-for both him and the Houston Texans.