Texans Named Surprising Trade Destination for Intriguing Quarterback

The Houston Texans have their franchise quarterback set with C.J. Stroud, but insurance is never a bad thing. It can be a bit pricey, though.

Considering Stroud’s current shoulder injury and question marks on the offensive line, Houston may be inclined to make a drastic move to ensure that if anything were to happen to their star quarterback, they don’t have to rely on Davis Mills to save the day.

CBS Sports recently named the Texans as one of the few plausible landing spots for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. It’s an intriguing option for Houston, though if they’re truly in the market for Cousins, Houston has larger issues at hand.

It doesn’t seem likely that Cousins would be shipped to Houston without Stroud’s shoulder soreness becoming a serious concern that holds him out for a lengthy period. After all, the veteran quarterback is disgruntled for having been benched for Michael Penix Jr., whose NFL career is only one year younger than Stroud’s. Without a doubt, Cousins wouldn’t be in favor of trading one backup role for another.

Still, as CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin mentioned, Cousins worked with Texans quarterback coach Jerod Johnson in Minnesota. That familiarity, as well as a plethora of offensive weaponry, could make for a solid fit if Cousins found himself in Houston.

The larger concern with this hypothetical addition is Cousins' lack of mobility. While he’s always been a statuesque pocket passer, Cousins’ pocket mobility appeared even more limited last season before his benching. While he was coming off an Achilles injury at 35 years old, his standing behind the retooled offensive line draws a perilous picture for the Texans' offense.

As for the process of acquiring him, the hope would be to sign Cousins in free agency rather than executing a trade that forfeits future draft picks that would otherwise benefit Stroud as his career unfolds. Even with a contract restructuring after a potential trade, Cousins doesn’t come cheap. As a free agent, he’d still be more expensive than any other secondary option, but at least that only affects the 2025 Texans rather than the plans for 2026 and beyond.

Nonetheless, if Stroud’s shoulder does become such an issue to warrant a serious discussion to make a move, Cousins is the best option for the franchise. Current backup Davis Mills has a career record of 5-19-1 and has completed just 50.7% of his passes over the past two seasons as Stroud's backup.