C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
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C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks on against the Carolina Panthers.
This could be a big season for C.J. Stroud, which could prove quite costly for the Houston Texans as soon as next offseason.
That is when Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, will be extension-eligible. He could also be coming off a season in which he “reinserts himself into [the] MVP conversation.”
That is exactly what The Athletic’s Mike Jones predicts will happen in 2025.
“The Texans’ young quarterback rebounds in a big way after a sophomore slump that had a lot to do with an inept offensive line, injury-riddled wide receiving unit and struggles of former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik,” Jones wrote on August 30. “Stroud finds comfort in a new system behind a revamped line and capitalizes on the arrival of rookie wide receiver Jayden Higgins, seeing a spike in touchdown passes and decrease in interceptions while guiding the Texans to another AFC South title and one of the top records in the conference as a whole.”
Stroud completed 63.2% of his passes for 3,727 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions during the 2024 regular season. It was a drop from his rookie season. He still led the Texans to 10 wins and a second consecutive AFC South crown.
Notably, Jones’ colleague, James Edwards, picked the Indianapolis Colts to win the division as his “bold prediction.”
That could mean something happened to Stroud, which would be significant for the Texans.
C.J. Stroud Part of ‘Rare’ Group for Texans
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
GettyC.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans looks on while playing the Detroit Lions.
Stroud going down or regressing would put the Texans in an unexpected reset. But it is one they might be better suited to withstand than most.
That is because of their relatively unique QB room that is three-deep.
“The Houston Texans are one of the rare teams in today’s NFL to keep three quarterbacks on the active roster, but the idea of doing so makes sense for their particular situation,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote on August 28. “Davis Mills is entering [his] fifth season with the team. He went from being the Texans’ top draft pick in 2021 and being pressed into the starting lineup far too soon to regaining his confidence as a backup.”
“Graham Mertz, meanwhile, is a rookie, whom the organization drafted in this year’s sixth round. He provides a developmental option and quality depth after a strong training camp and preseason.”
Mills has 26 career starts. He is 5-19-1 in those games, but he was also working with a roster in transition.
Mertz’s standing is clear, since the Texans kept him over positions of more immediate need.
Still, this is Stroud’s show. The Texans need Jones to be accurate in his assessment of the 2023 Pro Bowler and Offensive Rookie of the Year. Otherwise, the Texans will need to explore their options beyond Mertz and Mills before paying up for Stroud.
Texans Face Double Danger on Record-Setting Contracts
Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
GettyWill Anderson Jr. #51 of the Houston Texans celebrates a sack against the Los Angeles Chargers during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
The Texans are not just planning for their future around Stroud. They must also plan around the No. 3 pick of the same draft class, defensive end Will Anderson.
He, too, could challenge for a record-setting contract and was voted as the projected Defensive Player of the Year by the NFL.com’s Around the NFL Staff in a poll originally published on August 28. Anderson, the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year, recorded 11.0 sacks in 2024.
“The Texans have dominated the defensive award categories over the past 25 seasons, winning an NFL-best six combined DPOY and DROY awards. Their individual defensive prowess has been so pronounced that when factoring in OPOY and OROY, too, Houston still ranks second overall with seven total winners since 2000 (the Rams have 11) — all for a franchise that didn’t even play its first game until 2002,” the NFL.com staff wrote.
“Nine of the 11 most recent Defensive Player of the Year winners were pass rushers, with cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II (2024) and Stephon Gilmore (2019) being the outliers.”
That bodes well for Anderson, as does ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano’s prediction.
Graziano advised fans, “Don’t be surprised” if the Texans boast the NFL’s best defense in 2025. He cited their “quality and depth,” a talent-laden secondary, “deep” stable of linebackers, and their “pair of high-speed edge rushers” in Anderson and Danielle Hunter.
“Houston is extremely excited about the quality and depth of its defensive roster,” Graziano wrote on August 27. “The Texans were in the top five in defensive efficiency and defensive EPA last season, and only Denver, Baltimore and Dallas had more sacks than their 49. There are a lot of eyes on the Houston offense and whether quarterback C.J. Stroud can lead them to a bounce-back season behind a rebuilt offensive line and under a new coordinator. But regardless, the Texans should be a dominant defense week to week.”
If Anderson helps lead the Texans to the top-ranked defense, he should have no trouble rewriting the contract record books with Stroud when their respective times come.