Getty
C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans drops back to pass against the New England Patriots during the first quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium.
Until the Houston Texans commit to C.J. Stroud with a long-term contract extension, there will be questions surrounding the future of the former No. 2 overall pick.
Despite having one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen from a rookie quarterback in terms of touchdown-interception ratio, Stroud has slightly regressed each year since that 2023 season, culminating in a playoff meltdown in 2025.
In two postseason games, Stroud turned the ball over seven times against the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, leading some to question if he’s the right guy to lead Houston going forward.
Could the Texans ship out Stroud and roll with Davis Mills in 2026? Would the risk be worth the reward?
Texans Trade Idea Ships C.J. Stroud to the Jets
In a trade proposal from Fansided’s Ryan Heckman, the Houston Texans would send Stroud to the quarterback-needy New York Jets in exchange for a haul.
Heckman projects a potential Stroud return to look like “a first-round pick, a Day 2 pick, and a starting-caliber player,” a package the Jets could certainly facilitate, considering they have two firsts and two seconds in the 2026 NFL Draft.
A starting caliber player the Texans value could be an offensive player from New York, such as guard Joe Tippmann, entering the final year of his rookie deal, or running back Breece Hall, a potential tag-and-trade candidate.
“Being able to land a quarterback like Stroud would be a potential game-changer for this franchise. But how far would New York go to make a deal happen?” Wrote Heckman.
“Is he a starter in this league? Absolutely. But is he a long-term franchise quarterback that the Jets should try to build a championship team around? I’m not so sure.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Stroud and his ability to develop into a franchise quarterback, he would certainly provide the Jets with the best play from under center that they’ve had in a long time.
The draft capital Houston gets back in a potential trade could go a long way as well. They could get a young offensive lineman to develop or try to take a swing on Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love to solve their current Joe Mixon problem at running back.
Would the Texans Really Trade C.J. Stroud?
Heckman’s basis for a potential trade comes from The Ringer’s Todd McShay, who reported on his podcast that he’s hearing teams may get aggressive in the pursuit of the Houston Texans’ starting quarterback.
“But the intriguing stuff, I’m told, don’t be surprised in the next couple weeks, as we get closer and closer to free agency, there’s going to be some big-name quarterbacks that are currently in destinations, that have contracts that are going to be targeted. Teams are going to be aggressive. C.J. [Stroud’s] one of them,” McShay said.
Now, just because opposing teams are willing to get aggressive on Stroud doesn’t necessarily mean Houston will trade him.
Sure, they have faith in their longtime backup, Mills, but he certainly doesn’t have the ceiling Stroud does as the former No. 2 pick.
The Texans may not declare their loyalty to Stroud this offseason by handing him a record-setting contract extension, but with only three years of pro experience under his belt, selling him off this soon would be bad for business in terms of Houston’s future.
More Heavy on Texans
Loading more stories