C.J. Stroud's four-interception performance in the Houston Texans' Divisional Round loss ahead of an offseason in which he's eligible for a long-term extension instead sent trade rumors swirling.
General manager Nick Caserio shut them down as bluntly as one could on Tuesday.
“It’s moronic. We’re not trading the guy," Caserio told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. "He’s our quarterback. He’s gonna be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026. Anything beyond that, that’s your world. You guys can speculate on that. But we’re not trading C.J. Stroud."
Stroud stormed onto the scene in 2023, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year while leading the league in passing yards per game with 273.9.
He hasn't been as prolific the past two seasons -- and Houston's offense has certainly taken a backseat to the team's stellar defense -- but Stroud has nonetheless quarterbacked the Texans to three straight playoff berths for the first time in franchise history. He completed a career-high 64.5% of his attempts last season while throwing for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
It wasn't flashy, but Stroud's play style complemented DeMeco Ryans' suffocating defense well. The problems that led to speculation from those on the outside mainly came to a head in the playoffs.
After fumbling twice all regular season, Stroud put the ball on the ground an astounding five times (losing two) in Houston's wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also threw a pick. He then looked even more lost against the New England Patriots the following weekend, tossing the aforementioned four picks and managing a dreadful 28.0 passer rating to render a victory all but impossible.
That image will be the lasting one in football fans' minds until Stroud is again able to take the field.
However, Caserio has seen enough during the most successful three-year run in club history to throw his support behind Stroud, much more concerned with how his QB picks himself up than the purported fall his stock took during a snowy loss in Foxborough.
"You’re gonna have some good plays, you’re gonna have some bad plays," Caserio said. "You’re gonna have some good games, you’re gonna have some bad games. OK, how do you bounce back? How do you handle that? I mean, this league is a one-game-at-a-time proposition, and how you handle it, every situation ultimately is going to determine your success and your longevity. ... We have a lot of confidence in C.J. and we’ve got a lot of confidence in our players. We’re glad he’s our quarterback.”
With the trade door slammed shut, the Texans have plenty of options moving forward with Stroud. They'll need to decide whether or not to exercise Stroud's fifth-year option by May 1. Otherwise, 2026 will be the last under his rookie contract. Given Caserio's point-blank belief in the signal-caller, an extension could also be on the table.
Asked about the potential for long-term deals regarding Stroud and the QB's fellow 2023 first-rounder, Will Anderson Jr., Caserio preferred to keep specifics in house.
“We haven’t typically talked publicly about contracts and anybody’s particular situation," he said. "I would say those two players are really good players. They’ve helped our program win a number of football games. We’ll kind of take it one day at a time and try to piece the team together and try to do ultimately what we feel is best for our team and organization. So, no timetable on anything, but we’ll kind of handle business as business is being done.”
PROGRAMMING NOTE: NFL Network and NFL+ will have live coverage of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine beginning Feb. 26.