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Ryan Clark Doubles Down On Controversial C.J. Stroud Opinion
© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.

Ryan Clark Doubles Down On Controversial C.J. Stroud Opinion

Originally posted on The Spun  |  By Chris Rosvoglou  |  Last updated Jan 19, 2026 8:46 PM ET

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark is once again going viral because of something he said about Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Unfortunately for Stroud, he had an awful performance against the New England Patriots during the divisional round of the playoffs. The former Ohio State star completed 20 of 47 pass attempts for 212 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. He was so careless with the football in the first half that ESPN analyst Marcus Spears was calling for him to be benched. Clark, on the other hand, was strongly against that suggestion.

"You are not having this conversation with C.J. Stroud. The second half has legit ramifications on whether or not C.J. Stroud is the quarterback for the Houston Texans going forward," Clark said. "Three years in a row, CJ Stroud has gotten you to this game. This is the year when you feel you have the players around him to win it."

Technically speaking, Stroud played slightly better in the second half against the Patriots. However, it wasn't nearly enough to lead the Texans to the AFC Championship. Even he would admit that he wasn't good enough.

"I think when (the interceptions) started to pile up, I tried my best just to stay locked in, in the spirit, and realizing I've just got to be there for my teammates, and they encouraged me a lot through it," Stroud said during his postgame press conference, via NFL.com. "I'm really appreciative of this team and them doing that because they didn't have to. But yeah, it was not easy. It's something that I'm going to learn from."

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws downfield against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images© Thomas Shea-Imagn Images.

While on "First Take" this Monday morning, Clark made it clear that he's not changing his stance on Stroud. He firmly believes he's the unquestioned starter for the Texans.

"CJ Stroud is my Lil Bro. I love him. He had an awful outing yesterday, but miss me with questioning his future. I believe his play cost the Texans defense a historic playoff run, but people are forgetting he’s gotten the Texans to the Divisional round 3 years straight," Clark said. "The Patriots defense is on a heater. Where was all of this talk about quarterback’s future when they shut dominated Justin Herbert last week? CJ has to do some soul searching, he needs to progress, but he’s the Texans’ guy. It’s all about adding value going forward."

Are the Texans committed to Stroud?

During Sunday night's postgame press conference, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans voiced his support for Stroud.

"C.J.'s our guy," Ryans told reporters. "I believed that he could come back out in the second half and flip it. ... And as I always tell our guys at halftime, it really doesn't matter what happened in the first half. We have to flush it, remove it, and you just have to go out and finish the right way."

As of now, Stroud is set to have a $11.5 million cap hit next season. The Texans aren't expected to move on from him this offseason.

What the Texans have to decide though is whether or not they'll pick up Stroud's fifth-year option.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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