Texans' C.J. Stroud Facing Notable Obstacle for 2025 Season

Over the course of this NFL offseason, we've seen the Houston Texans make an assortment of changes on the offensive end surrounding quarterback C.J. Stroud, all in hopes of providing an improved supporting cast for what was an uninspiring campaign on that side of the ball.

And in recent months, the Texans have done a solid job of accomplishing that goal. The offensive line looks vastly different from their struggling unit from 2024, the entire receiving arsenal outside of Nico Stroud has been reworked, and in turn, has given Houston a new sense of optimism for the year ahead.

However, when forecasting Stroud's outlook for what will be his third season pro, there could be one major obstacle the Texans quarterback will have to overcome in the eyes of Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon: his sophomore slump from last year.

"Stroud's production fell off a cliff in 2024," Gagnon wrote. "Did the team get proactive as a result? Sure. But significant changes aren't easy to navigate and now he's without a talented left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. This campaign could go so many ways."

Undoubtedly, it'll be a bit of a different season for Texans than their most recent, and one that will have a lot of moving pieces to factor in.

The offensive line may take a few weeks to totally mesh, a fresh receiving corps could use a few games to get comfortable in a new situation, and if Stroud finds himself stumbling early in Nick Caley's new system, that could start Houston's regular season campaign on a pretty rough foot.

But the tools are there for Stroud to silence any doubters for year three. Regardless of the vast changes, this roster is still one projected to be a force on both ends with star and quality supporting talent all around, looking the part of a strong supporting cast to fortify around their aspiring franchise quarterback.

If Stroud can manage to get things clicking similar to his rookie campaign, it could be an electric year for this Houston offense.