The Houston Texans have activated C.J. Stroud's fifth-year option, allowing them two more seasons to assess his performance before a major financial decision. Following a disappointing playoff loss, doubts about Stroud's future as the team's quarterback have emerged.
Analyst offers interesting Texans plan for C.J. Stroud originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Houston Texans' decision on what to do with C.J. Stroud will be a fascinating one.
The franchise has already picked up his fifth-year option, so that gives the Texans two seasons to evaluate Stroud further before making a big financial commitment.
After last season's horror playoff loss, many have soured on Stroud, just a couple of years after he announced himself to the NFL in style in his rookie season.
Now, there are serious doubts over his ability to be "the" guy for the Texans.
And as such, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer thinks the Texans would be wise to wait before signing him long-term.
"Given how last year ended, it would make sense if the Texans wanted to wait another year, the way the Dolphins did with Tua Tagovailoa or the Packers (essentially) did with Jordan Love," Breer wrote.
"There’d be a lot of noise that would come along with that, of course. Then again, seeing how Stroud handled that might get Houston closer to its final answer on him."
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The worst thing for Stroud is that everyone's lasting thought of him right now is that horror playoff performance, so he has a lot of work to do to get back into fans' good graces.
The harsh reality of C.J.'s situation is that he has to have a good season in 2026, and possibly win a playoff game or two, and play well doing it, for doubts to be removed.
He has to get back to somewhere near his rookie season form, and he has an elite defense backing him up, plus there are key offensive weapons at his disposal.
So, the only thing left for Stroud to do, in what might be a career-defining year, is to play good football. Something he's not done consistently for the past two years.
Activating C.J. Stroud's fifth-year option means the Texans have secured him for two additional seasons, giving them time to evaluate his performance before committing financially.
Doubts about C.J. Stroud's future stem from a disappointing playoff loss last season, leading to concerns about his ability to be the franchise quarterback.
C.J. Stroud had a strong rookie season, making a notable impact in the NFL, but recent performances have raised questions about his long-term viability as the Texans' starting quarterback.
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