Hurt. Disappointment. Those were the two emotions C.J. Stroud shouldered after throwing four interceptions in the first half of the divisional round against the New England Patriots. “I let people down,” he confessed, but that was barely enough. That loss… stuck. And it didn’t die down in Houston Texans circles this offseason. It fueled a wave of second-guessing Stroud’s future, and some wondered whether the franchise considered moving in a different direction at quarterback.

For all the chatter, the team isn’t rushing a decision. By picking up Stroud’s fifth-year option, they’ve bought themselves two more seasons to evaluate before making any long-term call. But if fans thought that move hinted at doubt, owner Cal McNair quickly shut that down. Hear it from the man himself.

“We’re fully committed to C.J,” said McNair via KPRC2. “We extended it, we exercised his fifth-year option. We’ll see how it works out.”

The quarterback was a first-round pick (2nd overall) from the 2023 NFL Draft. Just like any rookie, he signed a four-year deal valid until the end of the 2026 season. With that season approaching, the franchise faced a May 1 deadline to exercise the final year of his rookie deal. Now, McNair has confirmed that the team is fully committed to using Stroud’s services in Houston until the end of the 2027 campaign.

For the 2026 season, his cap hit is set to be $11.5 million, but the fifth-year extension will see a significant jump in his income, boosting the figure to $25.9 million. While it’s a short-term year-long extension, the owner also indicated that a lengthy contract extension is being discussed and will be handled “behind the scenes” by general manager Nick Caserio. Given the dip in his 2025 performance, the team may prefer to wait one more season before handing a high-value extension.

But here’s the problem: C.J. Stroud hasn’t quite built on the momentum from his rookie breakout, with each season trending the wrong way. In 2025, he posted career lows, 3,041 passing yards and 19 touchdowns, partly because a concussion sidelined him for four games. But even after returning, the struggles lingered. The Texans still reached the postseason, thanks largely to their No. 1-ranked defense, which again bailed them out in a wild-card win against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite Stroud fumbling five times. That cushion disappeared in the Divisional Round, where his four interceptions proved costly in a loss to the New England Patriots, who went on to win the AFC.

That said, the team seems to be trying its best to help the QB.

Since then, Houston has made a clear effort to bolster the pieces around Stroud heading into the 2026 season. In March, the team brought in experienced running back David Montgomery via a trade with Detroit, and later moved up in the draft to land guard Keylan Rutledge, who is widely projected to step into a starting role from Week 1.

As the expectations are high for the QB1 next season, he is putting in serious work behind the scenes this offseason.

C.J. Stroud is working hard this offseason

After guiding the team to another playoff berth last season, the fans were expecting a deep postseason run, especially after the dominant 30-6 Wild Card Round win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Stroud had a forgettable Divisional round game against the Patriots. The Texans lost 28-16, and their season was done.

Now, moving to the next season, he is ready to move past that disastrous performance and put in the effort day in and day out this offseason, per coach DeMeco Ryans.

“C.J. has done a really great job all offseason of just continuing to be locked in, continuing to prepare the right way,” Ryans said on Monday. “He’s been dialed in to our strength sessions, coaching sessions, and our meetings. He’s been dialed in and very into it, and that’s all you can ask for all our guys at this time.”

That confidence comes from the fact that the team used the offseason to work on its leaky offensive line, which was responsible for Stroud’s struggles in the past two seasons.

Plus, the quarterback has gone through a noticeable physical change this offseason. Besides cutting his long hair, he is looking significantly leaner than before. A leaner physique could elevate his speed for better pocket movement, and if he gets faster, it would help him evade defenders, considering he has an alarming 113 career sacks in 46 games.

Since arriving in 2023, Stroud has helped guide Houston to a pair of division crowns and three consecutive playoff berths. An underwhelming season or two hasn’t shaken the Texans’ belief that he remains their long-term answer at quarterback.