C.J. Stroud is having a brutal start to his 2025 season. Through his first two games against the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he put up just 395 passing yards with just one touchdown against one interception while completing 62.7% of his passes.
Things didn’t get any easier on Sunday in the Houston Texans’ Week 3 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Stroud still has problems against the pass rush, like in 2024 when he took 52 sacks. Coming into Sunday’s game, he had already taken six sacks and took another one against Jacksonville. Even worse, he threw two interceptions, including one on a potential game-tying drive.
Houston lost to the Jaguars 17-10, giving the Jags their first win at home against Houston since 2017.
What Happened to C.J. Stroud?
The Texans have many problems, and Stroud is one of them. Their rebuilt offensive line isn’t giving Stroud the time he needs to break down a defense, but Stroud hasn’t been doing himself any favors, and fans have taken notice.
Most of the criticism revolves around Stroud regressing from his sensational rookie season in 2023 when he was the AP Rookie of the Year. The dissatisfaction is as definitive as it is withering.
One fan, who apparently dislikes the Packers and Stroud (totally unrelated), posted, “Packers fail , CJ stroud fail , this might be a great day after all!”
Another fan feels strongly, “CJ Stroud is a fraud.”
Another fan predicts, “CJ Stroud is out of the league after his rookie contract.” Well, there are reasons many fans feel this way.
Another fan has given up on football season, posting, “CJ Stroud and Texans complete frauds, can’t wait for basketball to start for Rockets championship and Sengun MVP season.”
While another can’t believe that, “CJ Stroud is washed at 23 years old, I’m sick.”
Still, one fan retained his sense of humor, saying, “cj stroud is just charlie batch with braids.”
Stroud may or may not be as bad as everyone perceives, but he’s making poor decisions and not taking care of the football, which is only fueling talk that he has taken multiple steps backward since his rookie year.
The Texans now have three losses to start the season. In almost any world, this puts their playoff chances in the trash, even in the AFC South.
Since 1990, only four teams have made the playoffs in the NFL after starting 0-3: The 1992 San Diego Chargers, 1995 Detroit Lions, the 1998 Buffalo Bills, and the 2018 Houston Texans.
This iteration of the Texans seems unlikely to join that unique group of teams.