CJ Stroud hit the ground running in the NFL, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. He looked to be the best candidate to join Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson among the NFL’s elite, but two years later, he seems farther from that upper echelon than ever.
Stroud, in his third postseason appearance, couldn’t have played worse through two games. First, in a win over Pittsburgh, the former Buckeye lost two of his five fumbles and threw an interception in the red zone. Yet, his defense was so dominant, the Texans rolled to a 30-6 win. On Sunday in New England, Stroud may have been even worse, throwing four interceptions in a 28-16 loss.
Stroud is now the first player in NFL history to have a postseason with five fumbles and five interceptions, and his seven turnovers are the second-most in a single postseason to Carson Palmer’s eight in 2015.
DeMeco Ryans has built a championship defense in Houston, but it’s not clear if he has a championship quarterback. Now, heading into his fourth year with contract extension talks looming and a decision on his fifth-year option to be made, ESPN’s Booger McFarland is calling for Ryans to take drastic measures at the quarterback position.
If I’m Houston I pick up the 5th year option for Stroud and I have an open competition between Mills and Stroud next fall
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) January 19, 2026
Booger McFarland calls for CJ Stroud-Davis Mills QB competition in Houston
Through 14 games in Year 3, Stroud threw for 3,041 yards with 19 touchdowns to eight interceptions, and he fumbled only twice in the regular season. Even with a shaky offensive line in front of him, Stroud didn’t have turnover problems until he began to face postseason defenses and brave postseason elements.
Stroud never looked comfortable in the wet snow in Foxborough on Sunday. His very first throw was well off target, and the California kid who now plays in a dome in Houston didn’t settle in from there.
Houston will have to decide on his fifth-year option this offseason, heading into his fourth year, and despite the last two games, it’s a no-brainer. Battling with Mills, however, is a new idea and one that demonstrates just how far Stroud’s stock has fallen.
Mills started the three games that Stroud missed with a concussion this year, and played in three others. He went 3-0 in those starts and finished the year with 915 yards and five touchdowns to one interception. Mills, however, completed less than 60 percent of his throws and averaged a pedestrian 5.7 yards per attempt, a far cry from Stroud’s 7.2.
Stroud won’t lose his job this offseason, but unless he turns things around next year, he may not be a long-term franchise answer in Houston either, and that seemed unthinkable after his stellar rookie season.