The Houston Texans continue to draw strong opinions about their handling of C.J. Stroud, who is under contract for the next two seasons but remains without a long-term extension as he and the organization remain far apart.
That has led to speculation about which direction the situation may go, including the Texans possibly trading Stroud, something general manager Nick Caserio shot down before.
Amid that, Stroud has been pushed to monitor an NFC rival for good reason.
C.J. Stroud Compelled to Look at Seahawks
GettyC.J. Stroud could help himself and the Houston Texans by emulating Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold.
Stroud had an award-winning rookie season with the Texans. He has seen his statistics and outside perceptions of him plummet in the two years since then.
The Texansâ own inaction could suggest they also remain unconvinced Stroud is the answer.
âThe Texans are taking care of a lot of players and spending a lot of money, especially on the defensive side of the ball. What theyâre doing is paying âundeniableâ players,â ESPNâs Kevin Clark said on âNFL Liveâ on June 26.
âThe last couple years, C.J. Stroud simply has not been âundeniable.â That is the biggest X-factor in the league. If he goes back to rookie-year C.J. Stroud, they win the Super Bowl. Itâs the easiest equation in the entire league. The problem is that seems to get further and further away every single year.â
Clark noted that Stroud only tailed off toward the end of last season. He cited a lack of using his legs as a weapon. That was after a concussion in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos.
Stroud missed three games, and then âdidnât take care of the ball at allâ in the postseason.
However, Clark noted that the Texans do not need Stroud to be a world-beater, saying, âI see them as a little bit similar to the Seahawks in the sense that if C.J. Stroud takes care of the ball and lets the defense do its job, they can get really, really far in these playoffs. Even if he not the ninth-best quarterback, he can be the 15th-best quarterback. C.J. Stroud, watch some Sam Darnold playoff tape, and do the rest from there.â
Darnold was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He made three other stops in four seasons between entering the league with the New York Jets and winning the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025.
C.J. Stroud Speculatively Linked to Steelers
GettyC.J. Stroud could be of interest to the Pittsburgh Steelers if the Houston Texans do not extend him.
The Texans would surely like to avoid having to go through that what the Jets (and Darnoldâs other teams) went through. That would mean Stroud ascends with another team. That could include one of their AFC rivals like the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On SIâs Jacob Punturi pointed to a report from ESPNâs DJ Bien-Aime that Stroud and the Texans âarenât closeâ on a possible deal to suggest the QB could be of interest in Pittsburgh.
âAs he and the Texans stand at a contractual impasse, it only increases the chances of Stroud landing in Pittsburgh for the 2027 season,â Punturi wrote on June 26. âThe Steelers have to be considered players for any available quarterbacks next offseason. The way things are going right now, the Texans wonât have Stroud on their team and he will be hitting the open market.
âThat means the Steelers have to be in the conversation for Stroudâs services in 2027.â
ESPNâs Dan Graziano expressed his belief that it is not farfetched to believe the Texans could explore moving on from Stroud in 2027. The Steelers would not be the only team that would come calling. That is, if the Texans made Stroud available for a trade.
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