Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud runs with the ball in the third quarter against the New England Patriots. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Texans Should Have Doubts About C.J. Stroud's Future

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jan 19, 2026 2:00 PM ET

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has hit a new low after the team's 28-16 loss in the divisional round against the New England Patriots.

The loss eliminated the Texans from the playoffs and put a lot of questions into the conversation about the quarterback's future with the franchise. Stroud has been the quarterback for the last three seasons for the Texans, but his performance against the Patriots was incredibly subpar and it came at the worst moment possible.

Stroud completed 20 of 47 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions against the Patriots. Those turnovers were extremely costly for the Texans as it stunted several potential scoring drives. For the second straight game, Stroud dealt with turnover woes, and it puts into question whether he should be the quarterback of the future for the Texans.

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Stroud Suffers Terrible Fate in Loss vs. Patriots

Stroud has one year left on his contract with the Texans, but it could be two if the team decides to pick up his fifth year option. Before the playoffs, it was not even a question as to whether or not the team would bring Stroud back for that fifth year. However, his performance over the last two games suggests that there could be a different outcome.

The Texans are also in need of making the same decision for linebacker Will Anderson Jr., but that choice is a slam dunk for the Texans. He will have his option picked up, and there is a chance that the team could just negotiate that long-term extension this offseason. The same cannot be said for Stroud, who is 3-3 in the playoffs in the last three years.

On one hand, Stroud is a good pick for the Texans because he has been able to get the team to the playoffs every year he's been in Houston. However, there gets to a point where there's questioning as to whether or not he can take the team forward.

Winning a playoff game was a triumph in his rookie season, but not seeing growth over the last two years is definitely something the Texans need to look at as a red flag. It might be worth keeping him for a year or two, but Stroud's future as the franchise quarterback is as murky as ever.

He needs to have a good offseason and a bounce back year in 2026 to prove why he deserves to be the Texans' long-term answer at quarterback.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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