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C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans greets fans before a game against the Arizona Cardinals.
A trade sending C.J. Stroud to another team seemed like a non-starter for the Houston Texans heading into the 2025 season. But a tumultuous campaign has left the third-year QB in a state of limbo, despite being under contract for at least one more season.
Trade speculation emerged this week, and former Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played one season (2014) in Houston, took a noteworthy stance on the situation around Stroud.
If Fitzpatrick had his way, the Texans would at least consider all of their options.
C.J. Stroud Gets Harsh Reality Check From Former Texans QB
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans reacts after losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Stroud owned up to his poor performance in the postseason, and the Texans have supported the former second overall pick.
Still, Fitzpatrick, a veteran of nine teams during his 17-year NFL career, believes the Texans face a dilemma regarding Stroud, given his performance in the post and regular season, and the presence of backup Davis Mills. Like Stroud, Mills is under contract through the 2026 season.
Stroud will invariably cost more to extend, though, playing into Fitzpatrick’s argument.
“You’re Houston, you’re sitting at home, you just watched that Super Bowl. You have a dominant defense as well. Whether you’re equally dominant or more dominant than Seattle’s defense, you guys are in the same category, right? They have been all season long, and they need some upgrades. They need some upgrades on the offensive line. They’ve got free agents,” Fitzpatrick told former NFL left tackle Andrew Whitworth on the “Fitz & Whit” podcast on February 10.
“I sit there and watch Houston play this year, and I’m thinking, ‘Okay, what’s going to be better next year?’ Or, maybe this happens in two years. Is it going to be better? Because you can’t tell me that there aren’t teams that are out there that would trade two first-round picks and some more things for C.J. Stroud.”
Fitzpatrick named the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers as teams he could envision being interested in a trade for Stroud.
Is all speculation still, but a Stroud trade would have significant implications for the Texans.
C.J. Stroud Decision Will Have Ripple Effect
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks on during warm-ups before facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
Stroud’s future contract will dictate a lot about how the Texans can build out the rest of their roster, putting an onus on general manager Nick Caserio to make the right decision for the franchise.
The Texans already have what many consider a championship-caliber defense.
“I just think if you’re Nick Caserio right now with Houston, it’s like, ‘All right, so I can have Davis Mills at $7 million and a bunch more draft capital, or I could have no additional draft capital and C.J. Stroud at $60-plus million. I at least think there has to be a conversation about it,” Fitzpatrick said.
“I think he [Caserio] has to be thinking about that, watching Seattle do what they did, and for their defense to really take them as far as they did and dominate in that Super Bowl.”
Mills stepped in and kicked off the Texans’ nine-game winning streak to close the regular season as Stroud missed three contests while in concussion protocol. However, the Texans went right back to Stroud as QB1 once he was healthy.
That could end up being a telling sign regarding the Texans potentially deciding to trade Stroud.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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