Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had a game to forget against the New England Patriots. With their season on the line, the former second-overall pick completed just 20 of his 47 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions, and he arguably played worse than his box score suggested. While New England’s defense played well, Stroud missed routine throws throughout the day, tore his tight end’s ACL, and had multiple passes bounce off the hands of Patriots defenders.
This was easily the worst game of his professional career, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. Stroud had a rough go of it against the Pittsburgh Steelers one week earlier and ultimately hasn’t looked like a legitimate franchise quarterback in quite some time. Given this abysmal performance and the consistently underwhelming results, it’s fair to wonder if the Texans will bring in some competition in the offseason.
Will C.J. Stroud Start For the Texans In 2026?
It’s insane to think that we’re having this conversation in the first place, given how good he looked as a rookie. Selected with the second-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Ohio State immediately won the starting job and looked like a locked-in franchise quarterback as a rookie. Starting and appearing in 15 games, the rookie finished his inaugural season completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. His 1% interception rate was the lowest in the league, he made the Pro Bowl, and he even won a playoff game. By all accounts, Stroud looked like the real deal.
Unfortunately, he’s never recaptured that magic. While he went 10-7 as a starter in 2024, his overall numbers took a dip. Despite playing in more games, he threw for fewer yards and touchdowns while his efficiency stats plummeted. The same thing happened in 2025, as he averaged just 7.2 yards per attempt. By comparison, he averaged 8.2 yards per attempt as a rookie.
Since 2024, Stroud ranks 24th in EPA/play despite having one of the league’s better supporting casts. While the offensive line could use some work, Nico Collins is one of the game’s best receivers, Dalton Schultz is a great security blanket, and he’s always had reliable WR2’s. The 2024 season was a disappointment, and 2025 showed it wasn’t a fluke. Houston has a championship-caliber roster, but should they look for an upgrade?
Possible Solutions
Let’s start with the obvious: the Houston Texans should not use their first-round pick on a quarterback. For one, Houston has the 28th pick in the draft, and it’s highly unlikely any half-decent quarterback prospect will still be on the board. Secondly, quarterbacks generally need some time to adjust to life in the NFL, so any player the Texans select probably wouldn’t be an immediate upgrade.
This leaves free agency as the most likely path for an upgrade, but even that won’t be easy. Quarterback is easily the most important position in football, and teams don’t let franchise-caliber players reach the open market. Aaron Rodgers is probably the safest signing, but there’s a decent chance he retires. If he does, that leaves the injured Daniel Jones as the best option.
Honestly, the best option might be giving Davis Mills a legitimate shot to compete for the starting job. The former third-round pick has starting experience and went 3-0 with Stroud sidelined this year. He’s always looked like a high-end backup who could be an adequate short-term option, and perhaps giving him a real shot to start will light a fire under Stroud.
Main Photo: David Butler – Imagn Images
