Former Ohio State football player C.J. Stroud had a rough NFL postseason. He was able to lead the Texans to a wild-card berth this past season. However, he was terrible in the two postseason games that the Texans played. Despite beating the Steelers 30-6, Stroud fumbled the ball five times, losing two while also throwing an interception.
His game against the New England Patriots was even worse. In the Divisional round, Stroud threw four interceptions and managed to help his team score just 16 points. In the two postseason games, he had seven turnovers. That led to a lot of discussion from Houston fans about whether Stroud is the right QB to lead them.
Houston GM Nick Caserio is not having those discussions. Stroud was taken second overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the Texans still believe in him. In fact, Caserio made a very strong statement while at the NFL Combine in Indy to let everyone know he will be staying.
Texans GM Nick Caserio backs former Ohio State star CJ Stroud
Caserio made a very strong statement of support for Stroud, calling the idea of trading him "moronic".
"He's our quarterback. He ain't going anywhere. We have a lot of confidence, a lot of belief...we have a lot of confidence and a lot of belief in C.J., and we're glad he's our quarterback."
Stroud is still a very young quarterback who is going to make some mistakes. He needs more postseason experience, and it also didn't help him that he didn't have many healthy receivers in the playoffs. Getting him some better playmakers and a stronger offensive line should help.
Fans of the Ohio State Buckeyes know how good Stroud is. In his final game with the Buckeyes against Georgia, Stroud diced up a very good Bulldogs defense. Had Ohio State's own defense been average in that game, Stroud could have won a national championship.
Stroud is still an excellent football player. He just needs to learn from his mistakes and continue to grow.