For the third straight offseason, the Houston Texans are working on building themselves back up after a disappointing exit in the divisional round of the playoffs. The big goal for the Texans involves finding a way to get the most out of quarterback C.J. Stroud after he regressed for the second straight year.
Stroud turned in a horrific four-interception performance against the New England Patriots in Houston’s playoff defeat, leading fans to question whether or not he’s the real deal under center. One guy who firmly believes in Stroud is offensive lineman Trent Brown, who issued a strong message of support for his quarterback after re-signing with the Texans in free agency earlier this offseason.
Trent Brown Shows Support for C.J. Stroud
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud entered the league and immediately looked like a star as a rookie. In 15 games, Stroud threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns, while also rushing for 167 yards and three more scores. Those strong numbers earned him the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and a Pro Bowl selection.
Since then, though, Stroud has looked nothing like his rookie self. While he has played behind a below-average offensive line, Stroud has struggled with his accuracy, which has led to an uptick in turnovers. Thanks to a strong defense, the Texans have continued to win and find their way to the playoffs, but it’s gotten to the point where it feels like Stroud may be holding this team back.
The 2026 campaign is going to be extremely important for Stroud, as he’s essentially playing for a new contract from Houston at this point. While some folks are giving up on Stroud’s potential, Brown isn’t part of that group, as he recently revealed that he believes the former first-round pick will author a strong comeback season when he returns to action next year.
“I expect C.J. to get better,” Brown said on “The Set with Terron Armstead.” “People be so quick to throw people away that they forget what you’ve done for them … C.J. is going to come in and be even more of a leader than he’s been. I think his approach will be different … This offseason is a little different for him and I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people. I think people think that he might be down in the dumps … but I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people.”
All Eyes Will Be on C.J. Stroud and the Texans in 2026
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
Houston has been desperately working on finding the form it enjoyed on the offensive side of the ball in 2023, but to this point, it has been unable to do so. This offseason, the offensive line in front of Stroud has been reworked once again, with the team also swinging a trade for David Montgomery in an attempt to help the rushing attack become a real threat moving forward.
Ultimately, the success of the offense is going to come down to whether or not Stroud can play at the level he was at as a rookie. If he can figure things out again, he will likely earn a massive contract extension at some point in the next year. If he struggles, though, Houston’s front office could ultimately be forced to make tough decisions on his future with the team.
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