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C.J. Stroud Talks About 'Suffering' After Texans' Playoff Disappointment

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Christian Alamodin | Last updated Feb 24, 2026 7:00 AM ET

The Houston Texans had a solid 2025 campaign as their 12-5 record secured a wild card spot in the playoffs. While C.J. Stroud hasn't returned to the peaks of his rookie campaign, he put together a respectable performance for the Texans in 2025 with his 3,041 passing yards and 19 passing TDs.

However, their season ended on a sour note after failing to put up a decent fight against the New England Patriots. While the 16-28 final score isn't a total blowout, Stroud had a horrible time.

Stroud threw for 212 yards in the loss, but he only converted one passing touchdown. He also also allowed the Patriots defense pick his passes four times and sack him thrice.

As the NFL is well into the offseason, Stroud took the opportunity to look into his season and mulled about the importance of his experience in a recent public appearance.

C.J. Stroud Emphasizes the Importance of Suffering In Offseason Speech

Stroud made an appearance at The Annual Global Humanitarian Awards where the C.J. Stroud Foundation was receiving an honor.

He took the opportunity to talk about the importance of suffering in his organization's work and his NFL career, as shared in a Twitter video.

CJ Stroud at The Annual Global Humanitarian Awards while the CJ Stroud Foundation was being honored gave an impromptu speech about suffering:

He used verses to explain how he believes “suffering is beautiful & is the reason we’re here today”.

Goes on to relate personally about… pic.twitter.com/bCxJzfbblh
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) February 23, 2026

"I think about suffering not only just it being something that the Lord Jesus preached about," Stroud shared to the crowd. "I think suffering is beautiful. Suffering, I believe, is the reason we're sitting here today, the reason why we have the heart we do."

He then related his statements to his struggles during his final game against the Pats.

"Of course, my last game didn't go the way I wanted it to. I'm okay with suffering in front of people, because I know somebody's going to see how I respond. We all have bad days, but my response needs to be in humility, in joy, gratitude, because my savior was on the cross for me," he said to a round of applause.

He ended his speech by thanking Houston for how they made me feel at home.

"I'm so grateful to be in Houston. This city has welcomed me with open arms," he said.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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