C.J. Stroud will bear in mind 30 particular minutes from the afternoon of January 18, 2026, for the remainder of his life. Over the course of these half-hour of recreation time, within the first half of probably the most essential recreation of his three-year NFL profession, Stroud threw 4 interceptions. 4 interceptions that doomed Stroud’s Houston Texans of their divisional spherical recreation towards the New England Patriots. That is the sort of efficiency that leaves not simply bruises, however scars.
The 2026 struggles of Stroud’s counterpart in that recreation, Drake Maye, have overshadowed the truth that Stroud and the Texans are as soon as once more bumbling their method by means of the beginning of a season. Sunday’s division loss to Indianapolis leaves Houston at 0-3. Desperation is not right here but, but it surely’s on the outskirts of city.
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The AFC South is, improbably sufficient, rising extra treacherous by the week. Houston, in principle, has a playoff-level, even Tremendous Bowl-quality protection. Stroud himself is within the prove-it yr of his rookie deal, with only one season remaining after this one.
So yeah, you can say there is a bit on the road proper now in Houston.
Stroud is within the ultimate yr of his preliminary four-year, $36.28 million rookie deal, and the Texans have already dedicated to the $25.9 million fifth-year possibility for the 2027 season. However the two sides weren’t capable of attain a deal on a long-term extension earlier than the beginning of this season, and Texans GM Nick Caserio has put all negotiations on maintain till after the season. Which signifies that 2026 is an important one for Stroud’s future, and each possession is now a referendum.
After dropping to the Colts, a recreation wherein he threw for simply 167 yards, Stroud was measured however direct. “We simply need to be aggressive,” he stated. “We won’t simply wait till the top. I imagine that if we discover methods to generate extra explosives and flip the sphere or discover factors, these are the kind of video games that we have to win.”
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That would appear a not-so-veiled critique of second-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley, whose offense is struggling on the bottom and tepid by means of the air. The protection offered them with three takeaways in Sunday’s 19-17 loss, however the Texans offense may solely handle a single landing out of these items. That is the sort of deflating underachievement that weighs on a group.
“I’ve the utmost confidence,” Stroud stated. “You possibly can name me loopy, I do not actually care, however we have been right here earlier than. That is, sadly, one thing we will study from what we did previously and do even higher than final time. That would be the purpose.”
He is proper. Solely two groups since 2000 have began 0-3 and made the playoffs, and each of these groups have been the Houston Texans … most not too long ago, final yr, when Houston gained 12 video games, together with their ultimate 9, to succeed in the playoffs. And, after a straightforward win over the geriatric Steelers … the four-interception recreation got here subsequent.
Daniel Jones of the Indianapolis Colts and C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans work together after the sport at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Todd Rosenberg through Getty Photographs)
Ready for the quarterback market to shift may very well be excellent news for Stroud. The wage cap will enhance, and extensions to gamers like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix may re-set the market.
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However, Stroud has progressively declined from the marks of his spectacular 2023 rookie season, when he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns at a completion share of 63.9. He is at present at simply 60 % completion, and his longest passes are a comparatively paltry 35 yards. Caley’s quick-strike short-yardage offense simply is not incendiary sufficient for Stroud’s liking — or for the scoreboard.
“That is one thing that we’re missing proper now, is explosives,” Stroud stated Sunday. “Too many three and outs. … We have to discover a solution to generate extra explosives.”
Though it is all however irrelevant proper now, Stroud’s postseason efficiency is one other yeah, however scenario. He is led the Texans to the postseason all three years of his profession, which is spectacular even given the truth that he is taking part in within the pillow-soft AFC South. However he is by no means superior previous the division spherical. After which there’s that atrocity from the four-interception recreation in January. That is the sort of efficiency that may encourage nightmares till the Texans can transfer previous them.
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The Texans have two potential get-right video games within the subsequent two weeks, a Dallas group that also hasn’t but discovered find out how to play constant protection, and a Titans group that is, nicely, the Titans. If Houston’s going to do something this yr — and if Stroud goes to burnish his resume for that offseason contract — these are must-win video games.
Stroud’s profession continues to be comparatively younger, however he is already amassed a considerable array of ghosts. Vanquishing them will take time … and for each Stroud and Houston’s sake, the earlier that begins, the higher.