C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Getty
C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans is interviewed after his team defeated the Indianapolis Colts.
The spotlight on C.J. Stroud has never been brighter as he heads into his fourth season in the NFL with the Houston Texans.
The former No. 2 overall pick has been under intense scrutiny following the end of this past season, and he has remained visible in varying ways this offseason, including with new teammate and Texans running back David Montgomery.
Stroud has also made another noteworthy change to his appearance.
C.J. Stroud Drawing Attention During Offseason
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks on before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Texans QB C.J. Stroud & new RB David Montgomery together at the StBrownGala in Los Angeles,” Sleeper’s Jacob posted on X on April 3.
The event, hosted by Montgomery’s former Detroit Lions teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown, along with his brothers, Equanimeous and Osiris. Several current and former NFL players attended, including Caleb Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Keenan Allen, Marvin Jones Jr., and Rome Odunze.
Stroud was photographed alongside a smiling Montgomery in one set of images.
Jacob
Texans QB C.J. Stroud & new RB David Montgomery together at the StBrownGala in Los Angeles.
📸: (keyonkeyon on Instagram)
Stroud, a California native, building chemistry with his new teammate should come as no surprise following comments from Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“He’s the first guy like, ‘Can I get a guy number? Can I reach out? He wants to reach out to those guys and really welcome them to the Texans family. And it means so much to him, and it means so much to us,” Ryans told reporters at the owners meeting in Arizona this past week.
“I know from a free agent’s perspective, or a new guy going into a new situation, when you hear from the starting quarterback from that team, that carries a lot of weight. So, I’m really thankful for him, and his mindset of having that on his mind, while he’s working, ‘I want to make sure I welcome all of our new teammates in the right way.’”
Montgomery spoke about Stroud reaching out to him after the Texans acquired him in the trade with the Lions this offseason.
The optics are good, but the Texans need Stroud to bounce back from his playoff showing.
C.J. Stroud Gets ‘Year to Year’ Forecast
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans warms up before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Stroud, who also drew attention for his apparent new chest tattoos and his beard, remains a source of intrigue heading into the final year of his rookie contract.
“I think (GM Nick) Caserio is going to let it go year to year,” an anonymous executive said, per The Athletic’s Mike Sando on April 2. “He very well may be inclined to draft another guy. It could be another year of Davis Mills (as the backup), and then Caserio drafts another quarterback.”
Mills stepped in for Stroud when the Texans’ starter missed three games due to a concussion.
Mills went 3-0 in Stroud’s stead. However, the Texans drafted Stroud with Mills already on the roster. They turned right back to the latter once he was fully recovered from his head injury.
Mills is in the final year of his contract, but the Texans also used a sixth-round pick on Graham Mertz in the 2025 draft. Mills is more likely to be a trade candidate than the Texans’ future starter at quarterback.
That still leaves questions about the Texans’ plans for Stroud.
Houston is expected to pick up Stroud’s fifth-year option. That keeps him under team control through 2027. The Texans can still use the franchise tag up to three times after that.