Texans Get Blunt Take on C.J. Stroud ‘Problem’ Before Training Camp

The discussion around C.J. Stroud had taken an interesting turn for the Houston Texans.

Whereas Stroud was once the toast of the league, bursting onto the scene with an award-winning rookie season, he enters Year 4 with questions about his ceiling as a quarterback and his future with the Texans.

Signed through the 2027 season, when he will be on his fifth-year option, Stroud could need a strong 2026 campaign to remain the Texans’ franchise QB.

Rival Happ Not to Have Texans’ C.J. Stroud ‘Problem’

GettyC.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are heading for a crossroads.

The encouraging news for Stroud and the Texans is that ESPN’s Bill Barnwell estimated the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year would still command two first-round draft picks in a potential trade scenario.

That is a strong referendum on where things stand for Stroud heading into the season.

However, Stroud’s outlook remains bolstered by his rookie season, with one person asked saying they are glad they do not have the Texans’ “problem” of figuring out what to do next.

“I asked a handful of people around the league about Stroud and his potential trade value if the Texans choose not to sign him to a long-term contract and generally got two responses. One was an immediate response that he’s still a really valuable quarterback. The other was a long pause and a sigh before something far less confident came out of the other person’s mouth,” Barnwell wrote on July 16.

“He has been a consistently above-average quarterback despite playing behind inconsistent offensive lines and nonexistent run games throughout his pro career so far. And if you place stock in wins, well, Stroud is just the third quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first three pro seasons.”

Barnwell noted that people in the NFL have “longer memories than fans” regarding discounting Stroud’s struggles this past postseason. But that does not mean they will completely disregard the perceived lack of progress from the 2023 second overall pick.

“It’s also fair to wonder if Stroud will ever be able to meaningfully build on his rookie season,” Barnwell wrote, noting some of the QB’s numbers were always unsustainable.

C.J. Stroud Trade Assessment Comes After Noteworthy Decision

GettyC.J. Stroud’s future with the Houston Texans will remain a source of intrigue without a contract extension in place.

Stroud finished with a better Total QBR than Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, and Trevor Lawrence, per Barnwell. However, Stroud’s peak from his rookie season could be as good as it gets for the Texans’ QB.

There has already been speculation that the Texans could explore moving on next offseason.

“It’s unclear whether the 24-year-old really has the sort of elite-level ceiling he hinted toward as a rookie,” Barnwell wrote.

“Teams would still want to have Stroud on their roster, but him on a rookie deal is a very different proposition than him on a contract north of $60 million per season, especially with a couple of first-round picks going out as part of the trade package.”

That could be a reason for the Texans holding off on extending Stroud this offseason.

If they did and Stroud went on to have another rough season, moving him in a trade worth making from the Texans’ standpoint would be nigh impossible.

At least now, they still have the option of moving him to a team that could still think as highly of him as Barnwell suggested some do on a relative bargain value. His fifth-year option is worth $25.9 million, per Spotrac. That ranks 18th in QB salaries for 2027.

The Texans could certainly entice a team to take a flier on Stroud at that price, if need be.

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