The future of quarterback C.J. Stroud is a topic that likely will hover over the Houston Texans through the 2026 season.
While the Texans picked up the fifth-year option for 2027 attached to Stroud’s rookie contract, there continues to be no sign that the club is in a rush to lock him down via what would be an expensive multiyear extension. During a recent chat with Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Texans running back
Woody Marks discussed how Stroud has responded to a pair of poor playoff performances that the signal-caller produced this past January.
C.J. Stroud has a new look in more ways than one
“Yeah, he’s been there since March 2, since we started the offseason workout, he’s been grinding,” Marks said about Stroud. “Got a new look. He kind of told me the end of the season that he was going to cut his hair. I wasn’t believing it. He’s been working.”
Stroud’s career postseason record fell to 3-3 following Houston’s 28-16 divisional round loss to the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots. In total, he was intercepted five times and lost two of five fumbles over his last two playoff starts. Those outings left many around the league believing the Texans will want to see more from Stroud before the club pays him like a long-term option at the sport’s most important position.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio has publicly defended Stroud on multiple occasions over the past handful of months. That said, Caserio also hasn’t guaranteed the club will offer the 24-year-old an extension before the 2026 campaign gets underway.
C.J. Stroud is “bigger and stronger” following his latest playoff loss
“Just seeing the quarterback, the leader of the team out there working in the offseason, not working somewhere else, putting in work at where he belongs at and that’s in Houston. He’s been doing a tremendous job,” Marks added about Stroud. “He got bigger and stronger. His times when we were running outside, he’s getting faster. I’d say he should be using his legs a lot this year, too.”
Whether or not such offseason work will result in Stroud leading the Texans to more than just one January 2027 playoff game could determine if he is still atop Houston’s depth chart at this time next year.